Book 1 Chicago Heartbreakers Series
Sports romance - baseball
Reformed rake
He fell first and harder
Fake dating
Only one bed
Slow burn

Opening day is around the corner, so no better time to warm up with a baseball romance featuring a shortstop (Tommy) and team photographer (Maggie).

Sucker for sports romance. Sucker for women breaking into male dominated industries. Sucker for female friendships.

Can confirm. There absolutely is crying in baseball.

“She was the Amy Poehler to my Tina Fey. The Thelma to my Louise. The Laverne to my Shirley.” We all need an Olivia to our Maggie.

Shortstop!! Tommy living out the dream as Chicagos newest shortstop following a trade from San Diego. Chicago is the last chance he knows he has to revamp his image, and fall back in love with the game after spiraling out of control.

A previous boyfriend, Luke, comes up frequently around Maggie’s thoughts and feelings around relationships and love. Get ready to have your heartbroken. (But don’t worry, Tommy will put it back together again alongside Maggie).

Maggie’s callout of Graham Simpkins (aka Daddy, Mr. Napkin Head himself: Jude Law in The Holiday) had me wanting to be besties with her based solely on her taste in fictional men.

Now friends, I need to be VERY clear about NYC:
1. no one sits on the curb — especially to eat pizza.
2. NO ONE talks that proper and lives on Staten Island.

The third act breakup dual pov did not line up for me. It was unnecessary. I hated it. And then the 4th act was so rushed as the last <10% of the book. It knocked this book down a bit for me alongside a few other plot holes. A solid 3.25 star read and solid debut!

Thank you NetGalley and 8th Note Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

Hey, BCK.Reads followers, C here. And I have the biggest news ever.

W•O•W! Ally Wiegand’s novel was an absolute GRAND SLAM.

I could not have picked a more perfect book for me to get excited about spring and the start of baseball season.

I love fake dating & celeb/sports romance and this book gave me all the happy feels. Maggie and Tommy’s friendship was sweet and authentic, which led to a fun slow burn.

This book was made for me.
XOXO
-C

A cute fake dating romance! It did feel a bit too “instalove” as some points for me. But the story itself was super sweet and there was barely any third act break up.

Thank you NetGalley and 8th Note Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am a sucker for fake-dating and am so happy with how things worked out with Tommy and Maggie. I really appreciated how they both had their different issues from past relationships and ended up helping each other work through things.

There were some minor inconsistencies and the transitions weren't always the smoothest. Sometimes I found myself going back and rereading things because I didn't quite get how things were playing out. Also, while I love a dual-POV, this book heavily favored Maggie's POV over Tommy's POV. I would have loved more chapters from his POV.

Overall, such a cute and heartfelt read! A great debut novel. I am excited to read more from Ally Wiegard, especially from this series.

4.25⭐️

As someone who loves sports romances, I can truly say that this was a really good debut for Ally Weigand! Given that "First Base" is based on baseball, I'm incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to read this during spring training season! I enjoyed the fake dating trope that wasn't necessarily the main plot - the main characters had to overcome their own trauma and navigate what was best for their moral integrity! This was a cute slow burn romance and it met all the cozy vibes while touching on some deeper subjects! I also appreciated the fact that our female main character was not willing to compromise her career, which is very common in today's romance novels! I would've loved to have a few extra chapters to touch further on the character development of the fmc, mmc, and their own interpersonal challenges but overall, I enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the next book in the Chicago Heartbreaker series!

Big thank you to the author and NetGalley for the eARC! #firstbase

I normally stay away from short reads/books simply for the fact that I feel like they are rushed. Like there isn’t enough detail and the author would just try to put as much in a small book. THIS SHORT BOOK HOWEVER, I LOVED IT. With only 230 pages, it doesn’t feel or seem rushed at all! The plot was great and I fell in love with the characters. I was very sad for it to end. The chemistry between both MCs is a slow burn. I kept rooting for them to be like “just share your feelings already” but finally it all aligned. There definitely were parts in the book that had tears in my eyes and a certain part that I won’t lie, I had tears running down my face just to turn around and smile because of what came after. I started and finished this book in the same day because duh, I was INTRIGUED. I didn’t wanna put it down nor did I wanna finish. I definitely recommend this book to read. I hope you fall in love with everyone in it as I have.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

4.5/5 stars <3

I loved this book! I absolutely love baseball romances and this one is being added to my recommendations list. Some of the trope include:
* Dual POV
* Fake dating
* Bad reputation guy/good rep girl

I felt that the writing was strong and immersive for the reader. I also was surprised this was a debut novel due to the strength of the writing. The world building and back story was very strong and thought out. The back story plays a big role in the plot and I felt it was planned very well.

AND THE CHEMISTRYYYYYY was amazing. It felt real and genuine instead of forced. There were really cute moments and do I wish that their were more. It did feel fast between them so I think that would be my only complaint. Though, the moments again that they did have really did a good job of creating the bond between the pair and building on their chemistry.

I really am excited for the rest of this series and to see who's book is next!!

There’s no better time to read a swoon-worthy romance set in Chicago than on a flight to that very same city. I’m impressed that this is a debut novel. The characters were likable and relatable, even though our male MC is a professional sports player. The characters were real and vulnerable which ultimately brought them closer together. For those that like spicy there’s a short scene in here, otherwise it’s more heartwarming which is what I prefer. I believe this is the first in series and can’t wait to get more from this author!


Thanks to NetGalley and 8th Note Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC copy!

If you are looking for a baseball sports romance that is based on the Midwest and has a fake dating trope, then look no further! This is cute and witty and heartwarming all wrapped up in this story. Both main characters have a troubled past that they don’t want to look back from. It’s a good read, even for something outside of my comfort zone.

This was super cute and solidified for me that I enjoy sports romance. Even though it is not the typical genre I prefer I enjoyed this immensely and it was a solid debut book from a new author. It’s not a huge book but also one of those books that you know you’ll read in one sitting due to the cuteness and if you like the fake relationship trope this is perfect. Just be warned it does deal with topics of grief so if you’re sensitive to that be careful. It's not the entire story but does play heavy into certain sections.
The story deals with Maggie Redford, a photographer for Chicago's MLB team and a new player on that team Tommy Mikal. Maggie is avoiding her love life where Tommy has no idea but to avoid girls to stay signed on the team and this makes a perfect scenario for the fake dating. Paparazzi snaps photos of them together and the PR team wants them to fake date to avoid any issues for either party. And as someone who loves the fake dating trope this was done PERFECTLY! The fake dating slowly turns into real feelings for both parties and I loved watching how Tommy and Maggie handled it. There is discussions of grief for Maggie but Tommy handles it well and I honestly wish I had a Tommy in person. There wasn’t much spice in the book, and that was okay. Honestly it worked well with little to no spice because of how adorable it was.
I’m excited to read the rest of the books in this series since it looks like there will be more! Thank you to Netgalley and 8th Note Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

First Base by Ally Wiegand
285 pages
to be published 4/23/2024
avg 4.0 rating on GoodReads

I’d recommend this to people who enjoy:
🤍sports romance (MLB)
🤍fake dating
🤍misunderstood bad boy

My thoughts:

I adored this sports romance, with its extra doses of celebrity events and a high-stakes season.

Maggie was such a compelling character, and I teared up several times reading about her relatable struggles. Her growth throughout the story was very satisfying!

I did struggle at some points with the writing. I think a few more passes of editing could have made the prose a little cleaner so it reads smoother. But this was also an arc, so it may be fixed by publish date.

Overall, I am excited to see where Ally Wiegand goes next with this series!

Thank you to 8th Note Press and Net Galley for the eARC!

I'm not even into baseball but this book was so cute. I really liked Maggie and Tommy together and I loved that Tommy wasn't afraid to show his love for Maggie. I do think the reason they got together was a bit shady but I'll leave that down to book magic. I totally understand the 3rd act conflict and would have been conflicted myself, but I am happy with the resolution. I think Maggie and Tommy are great for each other.

Wonderfully done, quick romance book from a debut author that will leave you smiling.

Thank you NetGalley. 8th Note Press and Ally Wiegand for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay who knew a baseball romance would make me cry?? This was a great debut!! I got sucked into the story right away.

Solid 3.5 out of 4 stars for this ARC and debut novel.

What I liked:
-both MCs have their own trauma and past to work through
-the MMC's protectiveness and sweetness
-the FMC's family
-fake relationship trope

What I didn't enjoy:
-miscommunication is a trope I almost never like ans this book was not the exception. I do not like when a character misleads a situation and then doesn't stick around to talk about it.

Clearly the pros outweighed the cons and I'm excited to see what this author puts out next.

This book had a lot to love!! It was a heartwarming story with a touch of female friendship, I wish everyone had a bestie like Olivia Thompson!!
This was an advanced copy read on @netgalley and I’m so excited that they approved my request to read it early!! I strongly suggest everyone get their hands on this book when it gets published next month!!

Tommy Mikals is my new hyper fixation until further notice!!

If you like sports romance & fake dating then this one is definitely for you!

read this in one sitting! it was fast-paced and enjoyable, and had lovable characters that had depth to them and were relatable. i loved seeing their relationship progress and while i'm not a huge fan of miscommunication, it was executed simply and well. a fun and romantic read!!! would recommend.

I knew from the start I was going to love this book. The way the author writes about baseball on the opening pages just really grabbed me. I'm a baseball girl at heart, and seeing how I feel about the sport put onto the page really got me.

First Base follow Maggie, the team photographer, and Tommy the new guy on the baseball team. After a misunderstanding, they're thrown into a fake dating situation where a real friendship starts to bloom, among other things. Everything isn't sunshine and roses though, as both characters have issues in their past that they're trying to overcome. This was a really heartfelt story and I found myself getting emotional a few times while reading.

Tommy was a fantastic MMC. He listened to Maggie. He respected her thoughts and her career. He never pushed for more than what she was willing to give when discussing her past. He was open with her as well, sharing his own faults and dreams. He was just really supportive of her and I loved that.

Maggie hasn't had it easy and that comes across with how closed off she could be at times but she still did her best to let Tommy in. I'm glad she had such a solid friend in Olivia. You could tell just how much she loves photography and the sport of baseball. I loved that she really gave Tommy a chance and saw that he wasn't what the press and public thought he was. When Maggie loves you, she really loves you with everything she has.

The pacing was solid, and the plot was good as well. This was a pretty quick read with just a few spicy scenes, but they never over powered the story. I can't believe this book was the authors debut! I've read a number of debut books over the past year and I have to say, this was one of the better ones. I'm really excited to see where she goes from here because her writing can only get even better with time.

I thought this was a cute, funny, emotional story. I love baseball romances so was so excited to read this! I loved the premise, loving a fake relationship, former player & introverted sunshine pairing. Maggie & Tommy were actually adorable, I loved how they were with one another, loving their instant connection. Tommy is actually so sweet & adorable with her, I loved his redemption arc from bad boy. and Maggie comes way out of her shell, learning she can trust Tommy & can lean on him for comfort & love. I really didn’t love the circumstances that brought about their fake relationship. I understood why it was necessary to the plot (I think) but the whole thing was very unprofessional & riddled with lawsuit material (sorry my lawyer side is coming out). I usually can suspend disbelief when reading, knowing some things need to slide for the sake of the story, but the way the boss’s treated Tommy & Maggie (especially) just left a sour taste in my mouth throughout the story.

overall, still a very cute, lovely, funny baseball love story! thank you for the arc :)

This is a very sweet love story. This is for the people who love a cozy romance that gets emotional.
I loved Maggie as a FMC. Her grief and her being stuck in it was so real. I felt for her so deeply.
Tommy was a great MMC. You could also feel how he was feeling defeated. He lost sight of his dreams and it was almost too late for him to save them.
I thought they were really cute together. They supported each other completely. They were a perfect match for one another.

I really loved the epilogue! ‘How could you not be romantic about baseball?’ The way this book described their love for baseball was really special. I loved it.

Overall, this is a sweet and quick read. I wanted to read it because I saw it was a debut for the author. I do think you can kind of feel that it’s a debut novel but it was good. I can’t wait to read more of her work. I hope certain side characters get their own story! Aka Olivia and Jamil.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher: I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

This was so cute! It’s a fake dating baseball romance where the main characters are player and photographer (which I haven’t read before but loved! It should definitely be more common!).

It was a very good quick and cute romance read. Gets into it super far and could easily be read in one sitting. I would have but for some reason I decided to start reading it at midnight. I could definitely see this being a good romance to get you out of a slump as well.

It actually deals with a kinda emotional subject as well which I don’t want to spoil. It’s pretty obvious what happened once you start reading but that doesn’t make it any less sad. However, there is a happy ending to book as a whole in case anyone was wondering.

The two things that I didn’t love about this were that it was so short and Ty at there was miscommunication at the end. I wished there had been more scenes and moments because I loved the characters and the couple. However I do know that a lot of people love short and sweet romances more than long ones so if that you this would be perfect for you. The moments that were there were super adorable. The miscommunication trope is not one that I love, but because this book was so short, it got resolved pretty fast and so it wasn’t as obnoxious or agonizing as usual so the fact that the book was short, in this case actually helped it.

The MMC Tommy Mikals was so thoughtful and supportive. I loved how much he cared for Maggie and how much he made it clear that he loved her and that wasn’t. I loved that he was so open and honest. He shared his feelings in return was a really good listener when Maggie needed to share things. He was super understanding and patient with Maggie. So helpful and sweet. he did all of the little things and treated her as if she was his whole world. He’s definitely book boyfriend material and the type of guy we’re all looking for in a real boyfriend. It helps too that he is a hot athlete lol.

I also loved Maggie the FMC. She had such a fun energy. I love how her brain thought and considered, and looked at the world around her. It was cool to see that from like a photographers perspective as she found the perfect moment and everything. I loved watching her grow trust and open up herself to him as well as to others. I loved her friendship with Olivia. Olivia was a great best friend and it seemed like they had a great relationship. That was definitely one part where I was sad that the book was so short because I wish that, it had been longer so that I could’ve had more scenes with Olivia. I loved their friendship so much. Watching Maggie heel was an awesome journey to be on, and I also loved watching her stand up for herself and stand up for Tommy. I loved when she’d support him and comfort him and when she made sure Tommy’s dad stayed in line.

Overall, I feel like these two made a great super adorable couple. I loved all of their cute moments together. To be honest and never really felt like they were “fake dating“ because we got both of their point of views (if you know me, you know I love dual POV for romance) and in both of their point of views, they were always talking about how they felt things for the other and what they thought of the other, so it never really seemed fake, which also helped since it was so short. I loved the characters of Adam and Jamil. Again, I wish the book could just been longer so there could’ve been more scenes with them. I would’ve loved to seen not only their friendship with Tommy expanded on and some like bro moments but also would’ve loved to see Jamil‘s relationship with Maggie because that was super cute and kind of like a brother sister thing that could’ve been something that made the book even better if there had been enough page time.

In the end, this was a super short, super cute, super sweet, fake dating sports romance book that I would definitely recommend to anybody looking for something like this or trying to get out of a slump or just needing that like quick read to get them back on track. I think this was a super good book, especially for the authors debut. I can’t wait to read more of her books. As I hope Jamil and/or Olivia get their own as well!

Thank you to the author and to NetGalley for the eARC!