⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

When the new Chicago Cougars shortstop, Tommy, is caught by paparazzi walking his team’s photographer, Maggie, out of a bar, the media begins to lose it. With the help of Tommy’s agent, the two agree to fake date to help his reputation. I think the fake dating trope was done so well in this story. It made their relationship progression feel more natural.

This book is on the shorter side so it does make for a quick, easy read buttttt… I found myself wanting more. More chapters from Tommy’s POV, more planned events for the two, more details on their feelings. And because of this, some of the writing felt a little immature for me especially during the intimate scenes.

And don’t let a shorter book fool you…this story was packed with gut punches and watery eyes. It dealt with heavier topics but their character growth was 📈📈. I am not a fan of miscommunication so I found myself rolling my eyes at the third act breakup. I know it needed to be there to push Maggie to get her closure, but she was so good at listening to Tommy throughout the story that I don’t understand why she couldn’t in this particular case.

Overall, this was a cute debut novel! I would recommend this for any of my baseball romance girlies. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review. 🫶🏻

This was a cute, easy to read sports romance. The romance aspect was fade to black so it makes it a perfect book for all readers. I very much enjoyed the sports part of this book. This book is very much insta love. If that is something you like that you should definitely read this. There was a bit of miscommunication that I wasn’t a fan of and could’ve easily been resolved but other than that I definitely recommend this book.

I'm a huge baseball fan, especially for my hometown team. So when my love for reading and baseball collide, I'm all in.
Maggie are fmc is a sports photographer, who hasn't dated in 4 years since Luke.
Tommy is the "bad boy" of baseball who is giving his last chance with the Chicago Cougars after no other team would have.
After a night out before season opener, while innocently giving Maggie a ride home, they are caught my the paparazzi, they both get called into the office. Hoping that Maggie would do good for his image, they sign a contract to be in a fake-relationship.
While this book wasn't my favorite, it was definitely a book I would pick up for a quick read, or a palette cleanser between books. I loved the book was dual pov but felt the story was a bit rushed and wished it was a little longer.
3.75 stars
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This was cute.. BUT

Needs more sentence variety and showing over telling “I blushed, I watched, I saw, etc” used a lot more than descriptive writing.

I wish there was more description of the scenes overall. Like there’s a red carpet scene and it seemed way too short it just cut and was over, the rest of the night forgotten.

I’m not a fan of the cover.

This was conflicting. I liked the plot and the concept but it wasn’t captivating enough for me to be interested and want to pick it up without putting it down. Reading it became a chore because the writing was so repetitive. It felt like she just took a bunch of romcom tropes and mashed them together in one book. I’m really sad because I wanted to like it, but I’ve read better.

Thank you Netgalley for sending us an early e-arc of this book!
This was the PERFECT time to start this book since that was the setting.

Synopsis: The team’s photographer finds herself in a FAKE RELATIONSHIP with the star player. She has trauma from her past that made her swear off love and he has to clean up his image.

Review:
I gave this one a generous rating. I thought it would have been better with more details since the book is on the shorter side. That would have made the short, quick changes in plot more stable and realistic. Also I don’t know how this couple is able to sit in silence a whole car ride home while upset so often. I’m way too chatty for that!

I loved this!! It was so cute and such an easy read. I could not put this down!! The fake dating trope was captured so beautifully. Also, how could you not love the one bed trope?? I love how the main characters had their own grief they were dealing with. Maggie’s development was so rewarding and had you hooked from the very beginning of the book. I have so much love for Tommy and Maggie. This was by far one hof my favourite ARCs I had the privilege of reading. Thank you NetGalley and Ally Wiegand for allowing me to review!

This was the cutest book!! I have been looking for a baseball romance for a while, so when I came across First Base I knew I had to read it! I love the complex characters and the accurate baseball information. The fake dating trope was accomplished perfectly. I have so much love for Tommy and Maggie’s relationship.

Read if you like:
-rom-coms
-fake dating
-he falls first
-dual POV
-MLB ⚾️
-sports photography
-a Chicago setting
-closed door fade to black

Tommy is our MMC, who is a professional baseball player. Maggie is our FMC, who is a sport photographer. They meet at practice one day, get themselves in a little pickle, and are forced to sign a contract to pretend to be dating to save Tommy’s career. Sparks fly….Just read it, ok?!

WHAT A PHENOMENAL DEBUT NOVEL OMG 😭

Well, I flew through this in one sitting. This was so freaking good. It was light (for the most part), fluffy, fast-paced, and adorable. I was immediately drawn to it because of the cover, especially Tommy (MMC) on the front with 2 full sleeves of tattoos on his arms. 🥵 If you’re looking for a spicy sports romance, this is NOT one. If you’re looking for a sports romance with plot & romance, this is the book for you. Either way, I feel like everyone will enjoy it. And you’ll definitely shed a few tears. I know I did. And you will catch yourself smiling often.

The writing was fantastic. I had absolutely no idea that this was Ally’s debut novel until I RAN to her DMs to scream about how much I love this book. It was easy to follow and it flowed so well. Tommy and Maggie are literal GOALS. I just love them so much and they are so relatable. They both have their struggles, but they balance each other out and it’s the sweetest thing ever! T & M will stick with me forever.

*Heads up there’s a little bit of miscommunication, but it’s executed so well.*

I’m so happy that this is the first book in a series! I cannot wait for book 2!

If you’re looking for a binge-worthy baseball romance, add this one to your TBR!

In the author’s note, Ally says that “her dream is to make readers happy, make them sad—but, most importantly, feel something.” Well, Ally your dream came true because I felt EVERYTHING.

Thank you to Ally Wiegand, 8th Note Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a honest voluntary review!

4.1 rounded down to 4/5.

"First Base" by Ally Wiegand delivers a heartwarming and enjoyable romance that hits all the right bases. With a blend of sports, fake dating, and heartfelt emotion, this novel offers a delightful escape into the world of baseball and budding love.

Maggie Redford, a talented baseball photographer, finds herself unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight when the team signs Tommy Mikals, a notorious playboy player with a troubled past. Forced into a fake romance to save their reputations, Maggie and Tommy embark on a journey filled with unexpected twists and genuine emotions.

Wiegand's writing effortlessly captures the chemistry between Maggie and Tommy, making their fake relationship feel surprisingly genuine. While the fake dating trope is a familiar one, the author infuses it with fresh energy and emotions, keeping readers hooked from start to finish.

The characters are well-developed and relatable, each grappling with their own insecurities and past traumas. Maggie's journey of self-discovery and healing is particularly poignant.

Although the story could benefit from more depth in certain areas, such as Tommy's involvement with the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago, the overall pacing remains brisk and engaging. The inclusion of emotional moments, particularly those involving Maggie's past relationship with Luke, adds depth and resonance to the narrative.

While the third-act breakup and miscommunication trope may feel predictable to some readers, Wiegand handles it with sensitivity and skill, allowing the characters to confront their fears and insecurities before finding their way back to each other.

In conclusion, "First Base" is a charming and heartfelt romance that will appeal to fans of sports-themed love stories. With its endearing characters, sweet romance, and emotionally resonant moments, this novel is sure to hit a home run with readers.

First Base is a fake dating, sports romance centered around Maggie, a photographer for a Chicago MLB team and Tommy, the new star shortstop. After losing her fiancé, Maggie is closed off from love or even dating. She throws her all into her job and her friends, but hasn’t even considered a relationship in years. Tommy entered the big leagues young and made some bad choices with his fame and money early on. After having his heart broken, he decides to turn over a new leaf, but it might be too little too late as his bad boy image got him dropped from his team. He gets picked up by the Chicago Cougars, the very team Maggie photographs for, but under a very strict contract. He offers Maggie a ride home from an opening day celebration one night, and a photograph of the two of them in the car together hits tabloids the next day, breaching Tommy’s contract. To save Tommy’s image and spot on the team, the team’s PR department decides to have Maggie and Tommy fake a relationship. The two become friends, and feelings start to develop as they share their past relationship trauma.

I thought First Base was cute, and I love a baseball romance. I thought the premise worked well, and the characters had well-fleshed out back stories that were well developed. However, it felt like most of Tommy’s growth had already happened prior to the start of the book since he had already renounced his “bad boy” persona a full year prior to the start of the book. While he was still dealing with the ramifications of that, it felt like there wasn’t much more for him to do. Maggie has a much more full character arc, thought it felt a bit rushed for her to go from absolutely no dating for years and not even considering it to being ok with it pretty much instantly. I wish there had been more follow through on Tommy’s interest in working with the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago as that storyline was pretty abruptly dropped and could have been part of the needed character development for Tommy to commit to something other than a relationship.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read. I always enjoy fake dating, and this was no different.

Thank you to NetGalley and 8th Note Press for the ARC of this book!

This was a cute book overall. Being closed door/fade to black, it is an accessible romance novel I could recommend to my seniors. I loved how the main characters had their own grief they were dealing with, Maggie with the loss of her fiance at a young age and Tommy with dealing with his bad decisions from the past. I like how Tommy can show your past decision don’t have to define you and that you can change.

A couple of things I had Issue with though…
-the MMC was supposedly tattooed yet it never talked about them except one time.
-WHY WOULD SHE NOT CASH THE CHECK. I know Romances aren’t “supposed” to always be realistic but come on. This bothered me the most. It just felt morally righteous. No one in their right mind would just give it back. You signed a contract and that was part of the deal, feelings or not.
-the third act conflict gave me whiplash. Did Tommy resent Sutton but then he was grateful and hugging her? It came out of left field.

i didn't want to put this book down! i LOVE sports romances and found this one to be so cute/wholesome. this was seriously such a good fake dating book and it was so easy to read.

i cannot wait to read more of ally's books in the future! thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!!

I could not put this book down!! I’m a sucker for a good sports romance! I literally devoured the book. The plot was so good. Maggie’s development throughout the book was so rewarding it had you hooked from the very beginning. I absolutely loved this book! One of my favorite reads of the year!

3.5 stars

This was fun sports romance featuring two of my all-time favourite tropes: fake dating & celebrity/regular person.

Maggie & Tommy (#Mommy) were both very likeable characters.

Grief is dealt with in the book so it isn't all lightness.

The third act misunderstanding was frustrating as Maggie seemed to overreact and their POVs didn't really match up.

I will definitely read more from this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from 8th Note Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, 8th Note Press.

I loved this book so much! From the fake-dating, to the coworkers and one-bed trope, this was so good!!! I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a good romance novel that's sweet but has some underlying heavier themes that make it meaningful.

Plot Summary: Maggie Redford works as a photographer for Chicago's baseball team, the Cougars. Tommy Mikals is the star player of the team, recently transferred from San Diego because of his playboy image- and he'll do whatever it takes to reverse that image now that he's signed with the Cougars. However, when a(n innocuous yet misinterpreted) photo of the two of them goes viral, the Cougars' PR team steps in, and Maggie and Tommy must date otherwise their jobs are on the line.

General Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book! The fake-dating trope was done well, but there wasn't too much angst between the is-it-real-or-is-it-not, which I actually ended up enjoying because then there was more time to explore their relationship. The fake-dating was good and I thought there was a nice transition into the start of their actual relationship- you could really tell where it started to become real.

Characters: Tommy Mikals was absolutely so great in so many ways... but also, I found it hard for me to be sympathetic. He is essentially a playboy because he was exposed to money and had access to opportunities where he could make mistakes so early on in his life. While I certainly understand that this is a real issue, and definitely a real struggle, it did feel like an excuse. Because, after all, he did have the autonomy to stop making those decisions- which he eventually did- but not after he was traded and his career was on the line. However, I did find his actions towards Maggie during their relationship very commendable. I especially enjoyed how he was a guiding force in helping her overcome her past relationship and help her find the support she needed there. There was no nonsense jealousy or anything over her former partner, just constant support which I really appreciated. I also usually like novels where the male character falls first, and Tommy did seem to do so here, with Maggie being mostly oblivious.

Maggie Redford was honestly a character I really loved. She seemed very true and genuinely honest, and I could feel her emotions. Her backstory was handled very well, and I did get emotional over it. The way she was able to grow from it yet also acknowledge it was really nice to read. Honestly there's not much else for me to say about her other than that I loved her so much!

Notes: This book did surprise me when it deviated from the lighthearted premise to delve into some heavier topics! There were some potentially triggering things, including the death of a partner (off-page but referenced) as a result of a traumatizing car accident. While that was a really devastating event, the author made this special, and they character didn't just learn to live with it but learned and progressed with it- coping in a way that helped them too. There was a really powerful message about moving on from grief and learning to cope and handle it- which I think could have been more developed, but it was still meaningful to me- and how you can revisit past events to help you in the future. Additionally, I think that saying that her previous partner was a love of her life, but in a different way than Tommy, dispelled the "there is only one" notion that seems so frivolous and unlikely but also justifies having found someone that is perfect for you- because there are many different people who can be "perfect" (or even imperfect in a good way) for you.

One of my complaints is the writing style, which isn't unique to this book, but seems to be increasingly coming up in the romance books I've been reading. I just feel that for a book with mature content (there was not too much, but it was still explicit enough to me to maybe be considered in the "new adult" category), the writing was very simplistic. There were not enough thorough descriptors for me to be fully immersed in their world, and just the writing style (words used, sentence structure, etc.) felt like it was written in a very juvenile manner.

In addition to needing more detail on the finer points in the writing, I also would have enjoyed more content overall. This book felt rather short and I was left wanting some more detail/explanation on a lot of the events. I really loved the ideas, but some scenes felt cut off and then fast forwarded.

Other: This book is listed as "Book 1 of Chicago Heartbreakers" so I am really looking forward to a book 2 (even 3 or 4 maybe? I would read however many come out honestly!) I absolutely need more to go on for both Olivia and Jamil's story, even Olivia's sister (she's in sports too slightly so I think that could totally happen). For a debut book, this was really wonderful and I can't wait to see more from this author and this series specifically.

This was such a great read! 4.5/5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and 8th Note Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I am a sucker for baseball and an even bigger sucker for a baseball romance. Ally Wiegand did such a great job with these characters. Maggie and Tommy are very complex individuals, and despite the shorthand that Maggie was dealt and Tommy’s previous actions that landed him a spot as MLB’s resident playboy, the two are resilient. I found these characters lovable and I was rooting for them the entire time.

First Base is a great read! I would definitely recommend this to people looking for an easy read with great romance and a hint of spice.

Thank you Net Galley and Ally Wiegand for an advanced copy of First Base. Maggie and Tommy’s story hits the shelves on April 23, 2024 and is available for preorder NOW!

3.5/5.0
- Baseball Romance
- Fake Dating
- He Falls First
- Only One Bed

ARC REVIEW
3.5 ⭐️
This was such a cute and fun book! I haven’t read many baseball romance books but I think I need to start. I caught myself smiling so much while reading. I loved Maggie and Tommy so much. The way they helped each other grow was everything. Maggie’s character development was amazing. I wish there would have been more of Tommy’s POV because I caught myself wanting to hear more from him. I also wasn’t a fan of the miscommunication. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for a cute baseball romance!! Thank you to Netgalley and Ally Wiegand for letting me read this ARC 🥰

Thank you Netgalley for this arc!

I was really excited about this one! I feel like it’s kind of hard to come by baseball romance books and the added layer of fake dating on top of it made it even better. It was a fun easy read!

I absolutely adore sports romance and this was my first baseball romance! I’m going to preface this by saying I am totally not a baseball fan at all, the baseball player I had a crush on in high school turned out to be a complete jerk and the last baseball game I went to I read a romance novel and drank margaritas the whole time…but when she starts the book with the line “How could you not be romantic about baseball?” I was definitely intrigued and this book didn’t disappoint. Maggie’s story is heartbreaking, I cried several times for her back story. Her fiancé dies in a car crash while she was driving 4 years prior to this story. Her guilt and heartbreak make her completely guarded to ever finding love or happiness again. Enter Tommy Mikals, a hot shot baseball star with a bad boy reputation and piercing blue eyes. Maggie is the team photographer and nearly gets taken out by Tommy’s foul ball. They are both pretty smitten with each other right away but for romance reasons they have to be in a fake PR relationship so he can stay on the team after an innocent photo of them goes viral. It’s baseball so obviously they both catch feelings right away. He falls first but she’s oblivious. They both have a lot of baggage but they help each other through it and grow into better versions of themselves and fall madly in love along the way. Great grand gesture at the end. I cried approximately 3 times. Totally recommend!

He falls first
Fake dating
Sports Romance
Medium steam level

Thanks you NetGalley for the Arc! It was wonderful!

Overall: 3.5/5
Characters: 3/5
Plotline: 3/5

Romance: 3.5/5
Spice Factor: 1
Themes: 3.5/5
Writing: 3/5
Enjoyment Factor: 3/5
Review: I love a good sports romance, especially when it's baseball! This romance was cute and fun while trying to have deeper themes scattered throughout. However, this book was too short to successfully execute all these things. Everything felt like it was happening too fast just to get to the next milestone in the relationship or the character development point. The baseball was well woven into the story and never overwhelming or forgotten; there was an excellent middle ground. I wanted more from the backstory with Luke to build up Maggie's character and Tommy while a rehabilitated bad boy was almost too perfect within the story, and I wanted more depth for him. Overall, this was cute and flirty and would be a great introduction to sports romance.