Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey (Big Shots, 4 of 5)

Why we love this

• ✦ The July 2026 Blush Club Pick (and It Was Made for This): Pitcher Perfect is our book of the month for the Norfolk Tides Blush Club night, and if you think that's a coincidence, you clearly haven't met Courtney. A softball pitcher and a hockey rookie walk into a fake relationship — reading this one at a baseball stadium is the only correct way to do it.
• ✦ Tessa Bailey at Her Most Fun: The woman who made "dirty talk" a legitimate literary descriptor is back with her most chaotic setup yet. Robbie Corrigan is living his best life until Skylar Paige, division 1 softball romance icon and the one woman completely immune to his charm, walks in and ruins everything.
• ✦ Fake Dating Done Exactly Right: When Robbie finds out Skylar is pining for her brother's best friend, he does the only logical thing: offers to be her fake boyfriend to make the guy jealous. It goes exactly as off the rails as you'd expect, and the fake dating tension here is genuinely painful in the best possible way.
• ✦ Athletes Who Actually Respect Each Other: Robbie is dazzled by Skylar's skill on the field from page one. She's a serious competitor, and he treats her like one. That dynamic gives the romance a grounding that makes the spice hit so much harder when it finally lands.
• ✦ The Edition Is Worth Having: This isn't just the standard paperback. The sprayed edges with stenciled heart artwork make it a shelf piece, and Tessa Bailey sprayed editions move fast. Grab it before it's gone.