While this book did have some flaws, for a debut I was impressed. Who doesn't love a sports romance and its a nice change from all the hockey romances.. It was fast passed due to being under 300. The main trope in this is fake dating and I loved it

2.75⭐️

tropes: fake dating, workplace, sports romance.

This book follows Maggie, a woman who has lost the love of her life, and Tommy, a reformed playboy who's last chance to save his career in the MLB is to sort out his public image. After being photographed on a night out, they are forced to pretend to be in a fake relationship to save his career.

I found that the writing was easy to follow and was very fast paced but it was also quite repetitive and I did find myself bored at times. I also didn't love the way it was wrapped up in regards to the forbidden aspect due to it being a workplace romance - it felt like it wasn't really discussed if there were any consequences at the end which I didn't love. I also thought that some parts of the plot were predictable.
I liked the characters but I didn't connect to any of them very much and didn't really care about them. I'm not sure if this is a series I'll carry on with because I'm not really attached to any of the side characters that might have books after this one.
Overall, this was a quick, cute, sports romance that makes a great palette cleanser but I didn't absolutely love it.

I read this book in audiobook format - it has two narrators, one for Maggie and one for Tommy. They do a great job of keeping you engaged in the story. The changing P.O.V made it easy to realise when the chapters started and finished because each new chapter would start with the name of the character. However, the numbers weren't spoken which made it difficult to track where you are in the story.

- Thankyou NetGalley and Bonnier UK Audio for the audiobook arc! -

A heartwarming sports romance, this is a light, easy and enjoyable read. The characters have some development and the plot flows quite nicely. I liked the dual perspective. There was something quite endearing about this read!

3.5 Stars. I found this so heart warming and I really enjoyed the portrayal of mental health. It was a cosy sports romance. It didn't blow me away but I did enjoy it.

This is a feel good story for all those who love a good sports romance book. It came with smiles and tears for what the two main characters are going through in their life and how they help the other through it all.

I enjoyed this story.

🎧 Audiobook ARC🎧

First Base - @allywiegandauthor

Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to receive a copy of this audiobook.

I love a sports romance book especially if it's hockey but this is my first baseball romance. It was a really cute listen with a duel point of view. Both narrators gave a great job of telling the story.

Maggie Redford is a photographer for Chicago's MLB team. She loves her job and loves doing it from the sidelines. She's not interested in meeting anyone as she already had the love of her life. Surely this can't happen twice.

This all changes when she meets Tommy who is trying to redeem himself from past mistakes by laying low and playing for the Cougars. But when he meets the gorgeous team photographer he's not sure if he can stick to this plan.

When an innocent photo is captured of Maggie and Tommy and it goes viral PR comes up with a plan for them to fake date. But the more time they spend together and the more they get to know each other, how much of it really is pretend?

There are some really cute scenes in this book and the characters are great and even better together. It was a nice light hearted read despite there being some traumatic issues in the book.

I enjoyed this book and would happily read more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to listen to an advanced copy of First Base.

Synopsis: Baseball photographer Maggie Redford is happy to watch life from the stands. At twenty-five, she's already lost the love of her life and is content to focus on her job snapping shots of Chicago's MLB team instead of her lovelife. But Maggie's thrown a curveball when the team signs Tommy Mikals, a tattooed hotshot whose talent for making plays is matched by a playboy reputation. Tommy knows he was traded because his last team grew tired of his tabloid escapades, but he's looking at this season as a chance at redemption. Vowing to give up his party-boy ways, he can't afford to be distracted by the gorgeous team photographer. Whenn a wild team outing leads to Maggie getting caught on the wrong side of the camera with Tommy, the photo goes viral—making Maggie look like just another of Tommy’s hook-ups. With his reputation and her job at risk, the PR team devises a fake a romance to convince the world that the two are an established couple. But as their pretend relationship plays out in the spotlight, real feelings come into play. Maggie's already loved and lost, Tommy's never learned to Can they even make it past first base?

Review:☆☆☆
I found the storyline intriguing—a baseball photographer and player pretend to be in a relationship to alter his 'bad-boy' image. It had an endearing quality, especially watching Maggie navigate her grief. The supporting cast, including the baseball team boys and Olivia, her witty best friend, added depth. While not a fan of the miscommunication and instant love clichés, I have a soft spot for fake dating plots and ultimately enjoyed the book.

Really enjoyed this audiobook. The main character and side character were great!
Loved that the main character had a lot of depth and how we watched them work through their flaws and come together.
This is the first audiobook I have read and hearing both characters was great experience, it felt like I was there with them.
Really recommend this audiobook!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this audiobook.

Received audio book via netgalley as an ARC.

This book is short, sweet, Fluffy and heartwarming. The MC is emotional and complex, which by contrast made the LI fall a little flat, but that was made up for by the attentiveness and thoughtfulness.

It's a fade to black style so theirs nothing *too* explicit although I would still say it contains spice

Very cute, very sweet overall. ☆3.75☆

I'm totally diving into my baseball phase. Don't let the cozy cover fool you; this isn't just some fluffy romance—it's so much more. The characters have way more depth than I anticipated, and it's been a pleasant surprise.

Maggie and Tommy are absolute gems, serving up plenty of heartwarming moments. And the narration? Absolutely flawless.

Thank you so much, Bonnier UK Audio for hooking me up with this ALC.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC audible copy of this book.

Shocked to say this was my first sports romance and a baseball themed one at
That but absolutely loved it.

The main characters each have their own backstories to move forward from and are so cute. I love the pace, plot, secondary characters and ending.

Perfect for fans of fake dating, forced proximity, redemption stories, stories of moving on after loss

The narration was also perfect with some of the more emotional scenes and voice acting genuinely making me cry unexpectedly.

This was fun but nothing original- i didn’t really connect with the characters, and it felt melodramatic at times :( I wasn’t convinced by the romance or any of the platonic/familial relationships. It did a lot of things well but nothing felt exceeding, and a lot of the time things could have been sorted out by just asking the other person what they thought/felt.

Absolutely loved this book. It was a sweet endearing read where both characters have their flaws but they work through them. I loved the audio book and hearing both characters fawning over each other made me feel like I was feeling it with them .

Both narrators did a great job with voicing the characters.

First Base is the first book in the Chicago Heartbreakers series. It follows Maggie Redford, a baseball photographer, and Tommy Mikals, a talented but troubled new player at the club with a playboy reputation. When a viral photo implicates Maggie in Tommy's tabloid antics, they fake a romance to salvage their reputations. However, as they navigate their pretend relationship, genuine feelings emerge. Can they overcome their pasts and make their relationship work, or will they be stuck at first base?

This was my first ever sports romance! In real life, I don't watch or follow any sports at all so I've always stayed away from sports romances, just because I figured that I might need to know some sports lingo or some basic knowledge of the sport itself. But if all sports romances are as noob-friendly as this one, I needn't have worried! I just enjoyed this as I would any other contemporary romance!

I listened to the audiobook of First Base, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was dual narration. The male narrator for Tommy's chapters, and the female narrator for Maggie's chapters really embodied their characters.

Maggie and Tommy both had a lot of issues to work through and their relationship was a sweet one because they helped each other move on from their pasts. They had an instant connection, and I was invested in them getting together, even though insta-love isn't usually my thing. But it worked for me because even though they had that immediate attraction, they didn't immediately act on it. My only issue with First Base was the third act breakup - I rarely think they're necessary these days and even Maggie mentioned that her thoughts were irrational.

In all, I really enjoyed my first sports romance, and I enjoyed this couple overcoming their pasts together.

Disclaimer: I received an ALC from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.