ARC Review: "Pitcher Perfect" by Tessa Bailey (Big Shots #4) ★★★★★
She threw her glove down and ran to him. And it was a singular kind of euphoria knowing that even though things weren’t perfect or back on track by any means, he’d still catch her. He’d still show up. Halfway to his open arms, she knew she could trust this man with her heart. Trust him, period. It was right there in the unwavering dedication in his eyes, in the way he didn’t budge an inch when she landed against him, his arms catching and holding her there. Squeezing her tight and rocking her, neither one of them seeming to breathe.
[Contains some spoilers]
PLOT SUMMARY
22-year-old Skylar “Sky” Page is a division 1 softball pitcher who aspires to become a pitching coach. She has been harbouring a crush for her brother’s best friend, Irishman and catcher Madden Donahue, and hopes this will be the year he finally sees her for the woman she is, not as her brother Elton’s little sister.
The Boston Bearcats hockey team says baseball was a boring sport, so Elton challenges them to a game and asks Skylar to pitch for his match against them. There, she overhears Bearcats rookie Robbie Corrigan bragging about his one-night stand and she immediately dislikes him – which isn’t helped by his objectification of her. Robbie makes a deal that if he makes it to first base, he will take her out to coffee. Thinking he won’t, Skylar agrees – only to lose.
Wishing to make amends for his behaviour despite her being the sister of Elton, with whom he has been feuding, Robbie offers to help her in her endeavours to get Madden. They decide to fake date to make Madden jealous and Robbie can be a love coach for Skylar (who better to teach than the man with so many conquests?). They will also compete as a team in her family’s home Olympics called the Page Stakes, which features three wilderness competitions: blindfolded blitz (one person collects flags blindfolded while the other directs them), rock climbing and swimming.
Both the lessons and competition require teamwork, trust and proximity. A lot of sizzling proximity. When the Page Stakes become dangerously high, the lines between pretend and real blur, and Robbie’s playboy past comes back to haunt them both, Skylar and Robbie must decide if their relationship is a swing for the fences or a walk-off.
But even in his replete—and frankly, love-drunk—state, the irony wasn’t lost on him. He’d set out to teach her how to attract and keep a man, but she’d ended up teaching him about himself, instead. What he valued most. Who he wanted to be.
Where he wanted to be and with whom.
The answer to that had been obvious this morning, but now?
Now he had hope. A potential chance.
He wasn’t going to squander it.
This is told from the third-person past-tense POV of Skylar and Robbie.
OVERALL OPINIONS
ㅤ🏒⚾hit (not miss) this time⚾🏒
Tessa Bailey is always, always, a hit or miss for me. This is usually to do with either the depth of the characterisation, the plot itself, or the spice scenes featured something about it that really gave me the ick (be it the location, something that was said that was meant to be sexy, or the actual act being performed).
Indeed, my star ratings range between 2 (Too Hot to Handle) to 5 (Love Her or Lose Her) – that’s how unpredictable my enjoyment is going to be so when I say I loved this and this was a hit for me, you best believe it! I might change my rating for The Au Pair Affair to 4, because I feel this surpasses it.
ㅤ🏒⚾the heart of the matter⚾🏒
Humour and heart will always get some stars from me and this had the perfect balance of both. The witty banter between Skylar and Robbie is just as sharp as the hilarious moments shared among Robbie and his teammates, and I found myself chuckling throughout. I love how similar Sig and Burgess are in this moment:
“Is it always this hard when you meet the one?”
“Yes,” Sig and Burgess said in unison.
“Did you ever think life would be easier if you’d just never met her to begin with?”
“No.” Again, in unison.
But not only that, Skylar and Robbie have their own powerful character arcs. Robbie’s journey from a confirmed playboy to a man willing to change for love is so powerful. His struggle to leave his old ways behind for Skylar’s sake feels authentic and I like that he stands up for himself to stop people picking on him in the hockey team because of Skylar’s encouragement.
Meanwhile, Skylar battles with the lingering feeling of being an outsider in her own family for not getting into Brown University. It's only when Robbie shows up for her—defending her and making her feel seen—that she realises her feelings for him are deeper than her crush for Madden.
They both have parallels in their understanding of sport and their competitive streak, and there are some sweet moments between her family. All of this adds so much to the chemistry between them and adds a further layer to their spicy scenes. And this is probably the first time during Tessa’s spicy scenes that vibed with every one of them (I was literally like “Tessa if you mess this up” but it never happened for me).
ㅤ🏒⚾symbolism of the kite⚾🏒
What was the most beautiful aspect was the yellow kite, which acts as a profound item that symbolises loss and hope. Robbie’s poignant connection to it, stemming from a final memory with his grandfather, gave the object (ironically light) very significant emotional weight. Skylar’s desire to retrieve it as a way to show her love and commitment was heartwarming.
While I would have liked this to have happened, that she had got it, or that Robbie could have overcome his fear of heights by going after Skylar going after the kite, I think the abandonment of this quest is a more realistic idea. The fact Robbie manages to convince her not to go after it for fear of losing her was such a touching moment. (Also, spoilers: I love that they get two dogs who wear parts of the kite as scarves/collars, that was super cute!)
ㅤ🏒⚾upcoming works⚾🏒
Tessa Bailey also sets up the premise for two more stories very nicely here: Firstly, Mailer with Reese Bauer the general manager who turned him down because she dates men not boys – but secondly, more interestingly, Madden and Skylar’s best friend Eve (who I could see coming from a mile away):
“Eve has these two children in her care now and she’s struggling to keep the club. The health insurance alone for three people...” [Madden] shook his head. “If she took my name, they’d have it for free. My contract with the Yankees isn’t on par with some of the more established catchers, Skylar, but it’s a damn good beginning. I could help her. I could provide for her. For them.”
I was already shipping them when Madden threw her over his shoulder to protect her from the crowd, but even more so with this plot reveal. Eve is now looking after her sister’s kids and plans to sell her strip club. Madden believes that if he marries her, this will solve everything. This intrigues me and I really look forward to reading that (hopefully it’s next)!
ㅤ🏒⚾contrived and dislikable third-act breakup⚾🏒
The main thing about the story I hated was the third-act breakup. This is a trope I typically dislike, and in this case, the execution felt particularly weak. The conflict is initiated by Eve, who, after a quick Google search, tells Skylar about women’s comments from Robbie’s past, effectively manufacturing drama where there was none.
Skylar’s immediate decision to doubt Robbie, despite his consistent and trustworthy behaviour, felt out of character and undermined their connection. It’s such a double standard because she reprimanded him early on for making assumptions about her – but she is doing the exact same about him (and not for the first time). It makes me dislike Eve because she stirred the pot, though I understand she was just trying to look out for her friend.
ㅤ🏒⚾to conclude⚾🏒
This is a 4.5. rounded up to 5. There were some things (listed below) that I think could make this better but this really is one of Tessa’s better works.
<< Positives >>
🠚 The title (as a pun lover, I approve)!
🠚 The Rocket and Redbeard nicknames.
🠚 Stunning chemistry.
🠚 Main characters have powerful arcs.
🠚 Beautiful symbolism of kite.
🠚 Spice scenes were not cringey and I loved every second.
🠚 Perfect balance of humor and heart.
🠚 Hilarious moments between Robbie and teammates.
🠚 Sets up upcoming works nicely.
🠚 Quite a few of *those* scenes: when Skylar watches Robbie, and the mirror scene especially hehe enough said.
<< Negatives >>
🠚 This is dubbed as an enemies-to-lovers but this doesn’t really occur except at the beginning. To make it worthy of such a label, I would have considered including more tension, more reluctance.
🠚 Tessa always makes the FMC seem really naïve in her stories. This time, Skylar does not realise Madden is in love with someone else until he himself tells her, despite it being very obvious to the reader. More subtlety here would make Skylar’s POV more immersive.
🠚 This quote from early on “From five yards away, she’d been interesting to look at. Obviously pretty. Up close? Her scowl made him wonder how much a bouquet of long stem roses cost.” – I guess it was a way to show how much Skylar affected Robbie that he wanted to do something to take the frown away (and long stems are more expensive), but his thought process felt a bit too jarring. It is too early in the story for him to be already thinking romantic, considering the playboy reputation. 🠚 Rocket nickname felt random, would have liked insight about Robbie choosing it (though it makes sense from the speed of her bowling).
🠚 Sometimes the POV changes in the midst of a chapter. It would be better to start afresh.
🠚 No info about Robbie’s age and some of his backstory to do with how he became the womaniser he is today, would help flesh him out more.
🠚 Cringeworthy descriptions like “her tits rose and fell” (this is just her breathing btw) and “muscle buffet”
🠚 Third-act breakup.
🠚 Surprise in epilogue was odd to me haha.
CHARACTERS
-ˋˏ ꒰ Skylar꒱ ˎˊ- ↳ I do relate to Sky in the sense that I like being organised (you should see my electronic planner with all my ARC dates). It’s such ashame that she never knew how to get anyone’s attention, and has never felt seen – there was a time I really felt this (probably around her age too). I love that she tells off Robbie about his sexist behaviour at the match.
-ˋˏ ꒰ Robbie꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ It was a creative way to win the first base bet. Everything that came out of his mouth got me messed up haha (“Give me ten minutes in the dark with your panties off and you’ll know. I’ll get you over him underneath me” – excuse me, DAYUM!). I did feel sorry for him when he is teased by his teammates but he says “I don’t question anyone’s intellect. I don’t disregard anyone”. I LOVE when he shows up wearing her university merch. I love that he makes Skylar’s family see her worth.
FAV QUOTES
• Some people had the ability to predict the weather by looking at the sky. Or determine the direction of the wind by holding up a blade of grass. Robbie Corrigan could smell a brawl coming a mile away—and the air was beginning to get ripe for flying fists.
• “I don’t need to be hyped up, you presumptuous dickwad. My arm does that for me.” She drummed the fingers of her right hand in the crook of her left elbow. “I was there to pitch. I should have been treated like any other pitcher.”
• Funny how she didn’t seem to realize the way she naturally challenged him *was* flirting. The best kind, apparently, because his whole body started to thrum. • Looking her in the eye, he moved closer, smoothing back some wayward hair that curled near her right temple. Then he let his fingers skim down, down to her neck, right behind her ear, just the barest hint of his fingertips connecting with her smooth skin, gratified when he left goose bumps in his wake. “No one should ever touch you like this, unless you asked, okay?” | “I know,” she half whispered, studying him with a small wrinkle in her brow. | “If someone ever does that, you come find me. I’ll go find them.” | “Not if I kill them first.”
• Skylar breathed a laugh that left a smile on her face and it hit Robbie, right in that moment, that there was definitely no one more beautiful than her in the fucking world.
• Time moved in slow motion as she jumped into his arms, her warm laugh bubbling in his ear. And eventually sighing into his neck when he banded both arms around her and held, locking her curves tight to his frame, his eyes rolling blissfully into the back of his head over the way she fit him, absorbing the perfect feeling of the girl who was going to get away.
• Skylar had worried about being a good date? Making small talk? What she had to offer was so much better than that. She was passionate and honest and insightful. She listened, offered valuable opinions. Sitting in that booth, surrounded by hundreds of diners, he’d sworn they were on their own deserted island. A place where they could say anything and not be judged, only understood.
• “Have I ever told you that whatever you’re thinking shows on your face?” Impossible. She was a pitcher. A poker face was essential, and she’d sharpened the skill like a knife over the last decade. Dina remarked on it all the time. Was it possible that Robbie alone could discern her thoughts so easily without a word? • All the trophies and medals and cups he’s won throughout his life and that might be the most memorable honor he’d ever been given. Having that girl tell him she liked having him on her side. That she felt less alone.
• Robbie rolled a tense shoulder. “I’m not qualified to be anyone’s spokesperson, but I’ll tell you this. When I notice something making her sad, you can bet your ass I’m going to say something about it. That’s my girl.” God, it felt so good to say that out loud. Even if it wasn’t true yet. Felt true, though. Felt as real as the sky overhead.
• “I didn’t think anyone would see me,” she whispered, breath hitching. | “Really, Rocket?” Robbie labored through a few inhales, exhales. A few violent clenches of his heart. “Don’t you know I never stop looking at you?”
• A hat trick would no longer give Robbie the ultimate high ever again. Nope. This was it now. Skylar looking up at him like he was Superman. Someday maybe their kids would look up at him the same way. Like he could do anything. And suddenly, he could. This was another facet of being in love. It put a man in permanent beast mode. • “Tell me I’m the only man…I’m the only man for tonight, at least, aren’t I?” Robbie rasped into her hair... “Tell me.” …“You’re the only man,” she said, looking him in the eye. Robbie waited for her to tack on the rest. *For tonight.* But she didn’t.
• Abruptly, he stopped walking, looking at her like he was seeing her all over again for the first time. “Hey, you. Skylar Page.” His fingers delved into her hair and tilted her face up. “Just where the hell have you been all my life?” A cool wind whipped through the trees, the clouds passing over the sun, leaving everything a shade darker momentarily. It was an odd event, almost like a rapid passing of time and she could see it, a glimpse of herself looking up into this man’s face for years to come, almost like she was watching it happen from a distance. And she had no idea how to respond. Couldn’t. Not with her heart in her mouth.
• If there was a chance he could call this woman his, he’d beat the game of life. Nothing compared to her. Nothing and no one could ever come close.
• She couldn’t help but hold on to some trepidation that they could make this work once they returned to real life, but she was there to try, dammit. She was there to give it her everything, because she couldn’t envision a world where they went back to Boston and didn’t see each other. Being near Robbie, talking to him, feeling his skin on her skin had fast become a given. He was well worth fighting the doubt. *They* were worth it. The thought of living a totally separate life from him after this week made her wet clothes feel colder. Icier.
• “Have me, Skylar. I plan on having *you* for the rest of my life.”
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I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and I’d like to thank Tessa Bailey, Avon, and NetGalley for the opportunity. This has not affected my opinion in any way.
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