Jennie's Reads

“…love wasn’t just trusting that someone else would break your heart. It was trusting someone would keep it safe when you did go through the worst times in your life, and they’d celebrate with you through the best.”

⭐️ 4
🌶 0.25
🌸 One Bed
🌸 Romantic Comedy
🌸 She Saves Him/He Saves Her
🌸 Fake Dating
🌸 Family Healing
🌸 Baseball… duh

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She’s an easy breezy rom com, and was a fun little excursion from the usual reads. First Base is your classic she saves him/he saves her type deal with a little *misunderstanding* twist plopped into the plot. Predictable, but like all hallmark rom coms- highly enjoyable!

Blurb/Synopsis

It was just a game… until the rules changed.

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.

When 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 plan: 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 commit: Can they even make it past first base?

What I Enjoyed

Didn’t Get Lost in the Sports: Sometimes you read a book, and it uses so many words/phrases and terms specific to the sport that you’re lost in the sauce. First Base didn’t do that. I felt comfortable in the amount of “baseball” and felt like I could still follow along with what was happening. I mean, I think I even learned a little bit!

Tommy’s Character: Legit the cutest that he was so determined to make things right, and be different, and be better. The followthrough was consistent and his character stayed on point. Also, very cute dialogue.

The sprinkling of 90’s-2000’s references: This might end up being dated after a while, but the references to the different 90’s + 2000’s happenings and pop culture was fun. Always an enjoyable experience.

Family Healing: There’s also this element of reconnecting to your family, reassessing and finding your place within while also holding fast and true to yourself (possibly with the help of others). I loved the development of Tommy & his dad’s relationship; cheesy, cute, heartwarming. You name it.

What I Didn’t Like

The Timing Felt a Little Off: At first, I felt like we were FLYING through this relationship. Things were moving at warp speed, then all of the sudden it felt like it was slowing down again- then *zoom* warp speed again. I kinda lost track of the timeline half way through and just kind of shrugged it off.

Notable Quotes

“Love is scary. It’s scary to trust your heart in someone else’s hands.”

“I love the way you eat your pizza because it’s ridiculous. I love the way you melt apart at the same movie scene you’ve watch a million times. I love the way your eyes are always dissecting a moment like you are trying to figure out the best way to capture it in a picture.”

“I knew that true growth came where there was a battle to be won.”

“A man’s strength is in how gentle he loves a woman. And he treats you like you are the most precious gift this world has given him yet.”

“…leave the dugout better than when you found it. Leave the world a little better than when you first arrived. No matter how big or small.”

Theme Song

Over All Thoughts

Overall, just really truly a cute cheesy rom com. A fun and flirty read that has a little but of deeper elements, family healing, and self healing as well. Definitely recommend if you like a hallmark style rom com! Tommy and Maggie’s love story has opened my eyes to reading more of these quick & fun sports reads in the future.
First Base releases on April 23rd, 2024.

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