💕Amazing Debut Novel and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series
💕Fake Dating/Insta Love/Forced Proximity
💕He is a professional Baseball Player and she is the team’s photographer
💕Reformed Bad Boy
💕Based in Chicago
💕Dual POV
💕Trigger Warning: Car Accident Death

Oh my gosh! These two have so much emotional baggage. There really isn’t a lot of drama or angst, but it kind of feels like there is simply because of everything Maggie and Tommy have gone through. Now, I’m almost as big a sucker for a fake relationship as I am for a second chance, so I was heavily invested in seeing these two make it from the moment I cracked open this book. They have their ups and downs, but I loved seeing them support one another and push each other to be their best selves. There are lots of fantastic members of the supporting cast that jumped off the page, and I can’t wait to see some of them get to star in books of their own.
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book through NetGalley.

Ultimately, this one just isn’t for me. The blurb sounded cute, and I’m a big fan of celebrity and regular characters together, so thought this could be up my alley. But in reality this was juvenile, underwhelming, and felt like the story had 3-4 planned scenes from “how to write a romance book 101”, with the rest as fluff to just get you to the next “predetermined” scene. It was all predictable and cheesy as hell. And not in a feel good, know what to expect kind of way, but rather roll your eyes because every scene has been done a million times already. We get it.

Maggie isn’t your regular girl, she’s ✨different✨. But she read as juvenile and naive. And Tommy, he was throwing out quotes like this:

‘Maggie was unlike any woman I had ever seen. She was an explosion of energy. Everything about her felt like it was turned all the way up—forcing you to notice her—but what I found even more interesting was that she didn’t seem to know that about herself’

After speaking to her for maybe a minute? Which of course she responded to in one word answers. Because she didn’t know how to speak to a man.

But then we also got this gem (ha) one whole paragraph later.

‘When she looked up at me from her spot on the field, cradling her camera, I struggled to remember to breathe. Her eyes were like bright emeralds, the kind that gem investors would pay millions for. She was all soft curves and feminine lines. Basically, the complete opposite of any other woman I had ever dated before.’

In chapter 2, ladies and gents. Why is this man who is “hotter than any model” and who is used to dating actual models having this full on soliloquy after seeing this girl for two seconds. And of course “she doesn’t know she’s beautiful”. I can’t.

What was a big struggle here as well, more so towards the beginning as well was the lack of dialogue. There would be one sentence, then 3-4 paragraphs of inner thoughts or background information before the next person replied one sentence, and repeat. Why?? It’s so painful to read like that.

But sadly it didn’t get better. I’m not sure where the romance came in because I’m not actually convinced these characters liked each other, or why. It was instalove personified. And I have no idea why Tommy was the one apologizing and making a big gesture when it should have been Maggie. The miscommunication third act is overdone as it is but WOW. I haven’t read one like this in a long time. I actually put the book down and thought “are you kidding me? This women acts like she’s 14 and the world is ending.”

If you could take the cliche idea of a romance book (for this premise anyways) and jot down the most cliche scenes to happen, they would all be in this book. Every. Single. One.

So no, this book wasn’t for me, and I won’t try anything else from this author. But I’m going with 2 stars because I liked Tommy’s mom, and thank goodness for Olivia calling Maggie out on her shit. And the end of the epilogue then relating back to the first few paragraphs was cute.

If you want something quick and easy, you can certainly give this one a go. Just know what you’re getting! While this didn’t work for me, it will certainly be great for others. Happy reading!

*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

⭑⭑⭑.75 / 5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley & 8th Note Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First off, I want to say HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!

This was such a cute, sport romance book! I love sports romance so much, so if you're looking for one to read this book is definitely one you should get your hands on. ON TOP OF THAT, IT IS UNDER 300 PAGES!! We can for sure agree that's a plus!

PSA: ITS A CLOSED DOOR ROMANCE! Which I needed after reading multiple books with tons of spices!!

An extra plus would be the references to baseball and to photography! I loved them both dearly especially baseball!! I always love when baseball season comes around! Texas Rangers for the win!!!

I did enjoy the characters and how they handled their obstacles, but truthfully I just did not get attached to the characters like I thought I would. It just seems like there was not much chemistry between them even though it's literally telling you on the pages. When it comes to closed door romance, I think the chemistry between the main characters have to be done right. On top of that, there was some MISCOMMUNICATION! No matter how big or small the amount of miscommunication is presented in the book, it really kills a book in my opinion!!

Overall it was a fun read and most definitely would recommend it to any sports loving book besties!
Looking forward to reading more of Ally's work in the future!

I loved Tommy and Maggie from the very beginning. They got along so well and truly cared for one another throughout the book. I loved how they were always lifting each other up.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley & 8th Note Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First and foremost, happy release day!!! Now, onto the review.

Confession: I have never read a sports romance novel beforehand, never mind a baseball romance. I’m not even a fan of baseball, but I wanted to give this book a shot. After all, expanding one’s tastes is important, right? (If you don’t, that’s totally okay! To each their own.)

Anyway, this was a super cute read! I loved the dynamic between Maggie and Tommy. They were also great characters on their own and didn’t feel one note to me. Learning about their respective passions and troubles was a treat and made them both fleshed out. Seeing their fake relationship play out was interesting, especially when real feelings began to surface.

The only thing I wished was that there were more chapters from Tommy’s POV, as I really enjoyed reading from his perspective. Don’t get me wrong- I enjoyed Maggie’s POV, but I would have loved more from Tommy because he was such a great MMC. It would have elevated this book to the next level for me.

Overall, this was a solid debut romance novel. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

Overall I think this was great for Ally’s debut novel!

This is a sweet sports romance that does not contain spice. There is one closed door spicy scene towards the end but that is it.

I did enjoy the character growth throughout the book. Tommy proved time and time again he wasn’t who the tabloids made him seem and Maggie worked hard to over come and manage her ptsd and anxieties.

The 3rd act break up did drive me kind of crazy though. 😂😂 but that’s expected in majority or romance novels.

I loved this book! Such an adorable yet heartbreaking story all at once. I really liked Maggie and Tommy, and all of the other characters!! Overall, 4.5/5 stars for me!!

First Base by Ally Wiegand was highly entertaining and I enjoyed it.
It was so cute, I couldn't help smiling throughout the whole thing.
A sweet romance story that kept me glued to the pages and eager to see how this story played out.

Thank You NetGalley and 8th Note Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book was adorable! It was just the right amount of fluff, sweetness, and cute all combined into one! I loved the MMC so much, and as a lover of baseball, this was the perfect time to read it. It gave me just enough baseball and just enough romance. I loved that both characters had obstacles to overcome that were believable but not overwhelming. It still remained cute and fluffy. I also loved that both main characters were supportive and kind to each other. I will definitely pick up the next one! I hope it is Olivia's story bc I LOVED her as a side character!!

This book was provided to me as an ARC copy. Thank you to 8th Note Press and Netgalley

3.5 ⭐️ - overall a pretty cute read

Let me start off by saying that Ally Wiegand did a great job especially with this being her debut novel.

What I liked:
- I absolutely loved how much both Tommy and Maggie grew as people throughout the book.
- It was adorable how determined Tommy was to show her that their relationship wasn’t fake to him.
- The friendship they formed along the way too was so heartwarming.

What I didn’t like:
- This is merely a personal preference, but the third act breakup😭
- I wasn’t very attached to the characters by the end of the book, but that is also very subjective.

Overall, a pretty quick and cute read. So, if you’re in the mood for a baseball romance about a reformed playboy with fake dating, give this book a chance🤗

Thank you to NetGalley and 8th Note Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I first selected this from the NetGalley catalog because it featured an interesting premise. A sports photographer and a hot tatted baseball player? I had never read this combination before and it seemed like a match made in Fenway. While the plot was unique, the writing was woefully underwhelming. I was told rather than shown how electric their chemistry was at first sight. This romance felt really basic. I hate saying that but this book didn't stand out to me.

I'm still relatively new to sports romances and haven't gotten my cleats dirty on this particular subgenre. I liked Fangirl Down and MacRieve, but those are the only ones that come to mind. Perhaps the major issue is that I don't gravitate towards sports in my personal life. I'll be honest: whenever I go to a sports arena, it's for the men in tight uniforms, not the game. First Base had its moments, but I imagine that I would be more invested if I actually cared about baseball. I couldn't tell you one single player on my city's MLB team. I did like learning about the behind the scenes aspects as a sports photographer, yet this romance had me snoozing in right field waiting for some action.

I took a chance on running to First Base and the umpire struck me out. I don't think I'll pursue this author or any baseball romances in the near future. It didn't work well for me because I don't think I'm the target audience. Load me up with hot dogs or popcorn, but I don't go to the stadium for the baseball game. It was a great opportunity to read this advanced copy, even if it was a foul ball. Nice try, First Base, but three strikes you're out!

“𝓘𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝔀𝓸 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓵𝔂 𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓮𝓬𝓽 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓲𝓽 𝓪𝓵𝓵.”

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧. fake dating and a sports romance is always a great combination. maggie and tommy had a chemistry that was playful and entertaining, but there was also an underlying tension to their relationship due to events in their past and in their present. this book was a great example of trauma/PTSD rep, and how having the right person in your life can help when that trauma feels overwhelming. all of this was tastefully mixed with the cutesy side of a sports romance. i loved that it was a baseball romance, since I feel like I don’t see that done very often. in the words of the author…

“𝒽𝑜𝓌 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝒷𝑒 𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓉𝒾𝒸 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝒷𝒶𝓈𝑒𝒷𝒶𝓁𝓁?”

⚾️First Base by Ally Wiegand⚾️

This was the book I was looking for when I wanted something to read during my Spring Training trip! This was a cute, sports romance that was a super fast read (under 300 pages)

⚾️Sports romance
💘 Fake dating
🚪Closed door
💞Dual POV

I liked the back-stories of the two main characters. I found it interesting and it had depth. I enjoyed the love letter to baseball, the fun supporting characters (almost not enough of them! I can easily see a spin-off book from a couple of the characters) and of course how can I not love a book that mentions my favorite movie of all time, When Harry Met Sally ❤️

A few things that I didn’t love…insta-love (but with such a short story, I guess it’s bound to happen?🤷🏼‍♀️) and a little miscommunication 👎🏼

I gave this book 4⭐️ on Goodreads (more like 3.75⭐️) Loved that this was a debut novel by Ally Wiegand. Looking forward to reading more from her in the future! Thank you to @Netgalley and 8th Note Press for the ARC

Publication date - April 23, 2024
1st book in a series

First Base 4/5⭐️
This book has solidified my love for the fake dating trope. This story, although a bit cheesy and predictable, still had me kicking and screaming like a middle school girl. I truly loved every page of it and will be getting this as a trophy for my bookcase!!

I like how they write Maggie’s story and touch on her PTSD of driving and trust. As someone who has been in multiple accidents, I understand the fear of getting behind the wheel and I think they painted that well. Tommy’s support of Maggie working through her fears was endearing to read. This has no smut, but it was written so well I could feel the heartbreak and emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ally Wiegand for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'd give this 3.5 stars, a solid debut effort. I had some issues with the pacing initially, specifically around Maggie and Tommy getting to know each other. It felt like it took too long for us to get substantive conversation between the two of them that we as the reader got to see happen. They met each other's parents so early on which was fine considering the situation, but you'd think that would spur on some more opening up and it only kind of did.

I loved all the side characters and could feel and see the stadium mentally as the book went on. I really liked Olivia and how she wasn't afraid to call Maggie out on her bullshit or encourage her to try something. Her role in the third act conflict was much appreciated.

First Base by Ally Wiegand
✨ Fake Dating
✨ Insta Love
✨ Sports Romance
✨ Third Act Breakup
✨ Miscommunication

Things I enjoyed about this book
•Maggie and Tommy seem cute together
•Jamil and Adam and Olivia are amazing side characters
•The fake dating set up seemed believable
•Some really cute and heartwarming moments
•The epilogue was one of the best parts of the book

Some things I didn’t love
•There was a LOT of inner monologuing on the MCs part and not a lot of interacting with each other or others
•In a lot of ways the plot went in circles and folded back on itself
•I would have appreciated content warnings for the following things:
Death of a partner
Death via drunk driver
Greif & loss depiction
Panic Attacks
Alcohol abuse
Which the ARC did not include.

Over all this book was a pretty solid 3 stars for me. There was so much potential but I just don’t thin it got there. I am grateful to 8th Note Press and the author for the ARC, and I plan to check out Ally’s next book with the hope of seeing her style grow and evolve as she moves forward.

I really did like this book. The two main characters were likable. Maggie was the team photographer and Tommy was just traded to the team on a last chance to prove himself as not a party boy. Due to some circumstances they must fake date. Super cute but I do wish the end was a bit more- I felt it was a bit rushed! Overall cute!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️/5

First Base is an excellent debut book for Ally Wiegand! It's not often that I cry in books but learning of Maggie's past broke my heart. Maggie and Tommy are lovable mc's who exhibit great character development by the end of the story. They are two peas in a pod, always knowing exactly what the other needs and how to bring out the best in each other. From the beginning their chemistry is electrifying and I was glad the miscommunication didn't last long.

First Base is a dual POV (but mostly Maggie), baseball fake dating romance that is sure is break your heart and put it back together again.

This was a cute MLB sports romance. I am loving that baseball is making a comeback in the sports romance world bc don't get me wrong, I still love a good hockey romance, but they have oversaturated the market. We need more baseball and football romances out there! Tommy and Maggie are great.

This was a little angstier than I expected given the upbeat cartoon cover, grief and guilt are big issues in the book, but I still really enjoyed it! And I love the secondary characters! Maggie's parents are fabulous and Tommy's mom is a sweetheart. And more importantly Olivia and Jamil need their own stories!