Tailgates & Truck Dates

The Locals #1

by Haley Rhoades

They both have big goals. But will an unplanned baby derail their futures?

Madison craves so much more out of life. Counting down the days until she leaves for college, the eighteen-year-old dreamer is ready to escape her alcoholic mother and small-town nosiness. Wanting her first time to be with someone she trusts, she approaches her best guy friend with a sexy farewell proposition.

Hamilton’s excited for the next chapter. Drafted to MLB to start in the minor leagues, he treasures his one special night with his favorite girl as a fond send-off. Unwilling to let it become a final goodbye, he savors each word of their many texts and video calls to stay connected.

Her stomach dropping when she finds out she’s pregnant, Madison scrambles for a way to keep it secret from their tight-knit circle, continue her longed-for education, and not destroy her bestie’s promising baseball career. Though Hamilton is confused by her sudden distance, he discovers a desire for something deeper than friendship.

Will they open their hearts to each other, or will hard choices push them apart?

Tailgates and Truck Dates is the emotional first book in The Locals new adult, small-town, sports romance series. If you like fun casts of characters, coming-of-age drama, and slow-burn relationships, then you’ll love Haley Rhoades’s beautiful beginning.

Buy Tailgates and Truck Dates to hit a homerun today!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult, Fiction, Contemporary Romance

212 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2023

About the author

Be sure to follow Haley on BookBub for the latest on sales https://buff.ly/3wdDaKH

Haley Rhoades’s writing is another bucket-list item coming to fruition, just like meeting Stephen Tyler and skydiving. As she continues to write romance and young adult books, she plans to complete her remaining bucket-list items, including ghost-hunting, storm-chasing, and bungee jumping. She is a Netflix-binging, Converse-wearing, avidly-reading, traveling geek.
A team player, Haley thrived as her spouse’s career moved the family of four eight times to three states. One move occurred eleven days after a C-section. Now with two adult sons, Haley copes with her newly emptied nest by writing and spoiling Nala, her Pomsky. A fly on the wall might laugh as she talks aloud to her fur-baby all day long.
Haley’s under five-foot, fun-size stature houses a full-size attitude. Her uber-competitiveness in all things entertains, frustrates, and challenges family and friends. Not one to shy away from a dare, she faces the consequences of a lost bet no matter the humiliation. Her fierce loyalty extends from family, to friends, to sports teams.
Haley’s guilty pleasures are Lifetime and Hallmark movies. Her other loves include all things peanut butter, Star Wars, mathematics, and travel. Past day jobs vary tremendously from an elementary special-education para-professional, to a YMCA sports director, to a retail store accounting department, and finally a high school mathematics teacher.
Haley resides with her husband and fur-baby in the Des Moines area. This Missouri-born girl enjoys the diversity the Midwest offers.
Reach out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or her website…she would love to connect with her readers.

Reviews

[Kristina Aziz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good aspects

I really liked about 25% of this book. What started as a cute and interesting story about a new adult with her first business turned into sex, but if it was written by a man. Characters and writing voice turned dry, and the book became boring. So I can recommend reading the first few chapters of the book, but then save yourself and read something else.

I got this book for free from a Goodreads giveaway.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is done a bit different where you read POVs from 2 best friends. 1 of the friends has a great story to tell and I can't wait for more of her story. The other I could take or leave, I don't feel like her story enhanced the book.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tailgates & Truck Dates
The Locals, Book 1
By: Haley Rhoades
Narrated by: Allie Martina

I am so glad I started this series. I love a good ensemble cast and Haley Rhoades has nine friends just beginning their adult lives and it's fun! Listening to each personality and each dream, it's clear why they are all friends and how they can depend on each other. Focusing on Madison and Hamilton, these best friends are ready for their next step in life. After a night of passion, Hamilton is off to start his professional baseball career and Madison is off to Columbia. And our story begins. Telephone calls, video logs, making new friends and family, weddings, escapades, it's all there as Madison and Hamilton's first year go by. The nine experience so much and now ending on a cliffhanger, I am excited to start the next in the series. Secrets have a way of coming out at the most inopportune times.....

Allie Martina is the narrator and she has all these characters down pat. I love her voice and each feeling in each scene is real, and just made me want to listen to see what would happen next. I am enjoying her portrayal of this cast of characters

[Rachel Crowe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure about this one. The writing felt like it was all over the place. One minute they were all proper, the next it was “fuck a duck”. Then there was the word pistoning lol. I’ll read the next one just because I need to know how that secret coming out goes.

[Mary Mccormack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the characters and storyline in this book. Lots of ups and downs and some very deep emotion in this coming of age story.

[Toula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full audio review coming tomorrow

[Roxie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a kind and sweet, coming of age, love story. The author brings the small town experience to life in a unique and engaging manner. The FMC, with the support of a whole cast of friends, goes through several trials. The narrator brings each voice to life with passion. This is a slow burn with minimal spice. I listened to this in one sitting. Highly recommend!!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rural Friendships

Characters are tied with the bonds built through simple rural experiences. Caring for each other above themselves. Can't wait to see what happens next. Can the secret be kept? What will happen if it is exposed? Ready for book 2!!

[Sherry Seibert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good read. I really loved this book!! I loved how the friendship and love for each other was like they were more one big family!!! Haley really did a great job of telling the story of how much love and sacrifice of what Madison had to go thru. I can not wait to read the next one to see what happens. November can't come soon enough!!!!!!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madison: Book 1 of The Locals: Friends to lovers/ secret pregnancy/ slow burn/ friend circle/ small town/ baseball romance: This book has great main and side characters and their tight knit friend group. I thought this was a good start to the series, and I am excited to see what happens in book 2!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lyndsey Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining easy read with relatable characters. A first for me from this author but I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. I felt though I were there with the characters as the story unfolded.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review. This was my first book by Haley Rhoades. Wow...just wow. Best friends to lovers to a surprise pregnancy. This book has ALL the feels. I love this story & can't wait to read the next installment.

[Bette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Story & Narration🎧Captivating & Heartfelt!

Tailgates & Truck Dates
The Locals, Book 1
By: Haley Rhoades
Narrated by: Allie Martina

This wonderful new adult coming of age story captivates your attention and tugs at your heartstrings the entire book. Madison and her tight-knit circle of friends are graduating high school and looking forward to their future. The story focuses mostly on Madison, and her two besties who play a significant part of her story, Adrian, who stays in Athens, and Hamilton, who she had plans to go away to college with. Madison was looking forward to starting college and leaving her small town of Athens and she had 4,724 reasons why she wanted to escape the town and I am sure her mother is on the top of her list of reasons, though we did not hear that one specifically, we hear with some of her reasons at the start of each chapter. Madison has been one of Hamilton’s biggest supporter and she encouraged him to pursue his dream of making it to the big league and playing professional baseball and she had her own goals to pursue, to become a teacher. Hamilton gets drafted to the minor leagues so Madison will be on her own, but before he leaves, she asks him one favor, to rid of her V card because she wanted it to be him and meaningful. The two set off to start the next chapters in their lives, and while their original plans took a turn, they vowed to keep in touch and their friendship going. Madison does an admirable thing, or so she thinks it is the best way to handle things for the same of Hamilton, but I am not so sure and am curious to see how it all turns out. This fast-paced and wonderfully plotted story has the perfect balance of drama, heartfelt emotions and the start of what I am hoping to be a beautiful friends-to-lovers romance. Haley Rhoades, thank you for this fabulous story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 Allie Martina did a fabulous job bringing these characters to life, and she delivered a perfect portrayal of each. She covered the roles of all the characters, gave each their own unique voice, making it easy to follow along and tell who was who. Her pacing and tone were just right for the story and she handled the back-and-forth dialogue with ease, never missing a beat. You could hear how much she put into her performance as she captures all the characters’ emotions and has you feeling them all. Martina is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to.

[Bette Stanek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this one thinking it would be a cute, quick story. I was right about that, but be forewarned, it is a cliffhanger ending. This group of nine friends is tight. They have experienced everything together, almost all of their lives have been experienced as a group. Now, they are graduating high school. Two of them are leaving to begin a life away from their small rural town and they can’t wait. The rest are staying right where they are, they are the ones who love their small-town, rural life. At the last minute, a plan change occurs for Hamilton and Madison. This is the story of that change.

I have mixed emotions about this rating. I love this group of friends, especially Hamilton and Madison, which warrants a four rating. However, the writing is not the smoothest, it is a little elementary but not enough to be too annoying. The author also uses two best friends, Adrian and Madison, to tell the story. Madison’s voice is the most prominent while Adrian chimes in now and then. Adrian seems to only be telling the reader what is happening at home with the friends left behind. At one point, the author mixes up Hamilton and Winston which you easily figure out. That’s more of a sloppy editing issue. The differing POVs are not always done in the smoothest way which confuses for just a minute.

It is Madison who is truly the star. It is her POV that is the most interesting and heartfelt. Her decisions are made for the right reasons and you can understand her reasoning when you remember she is only eighteen. Now, about that cliffhanger…you will become entangled in the story and want to see how Madison handles everything. Just be prepared.

[Audio book lover · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book in The Locals series is a heartfelt small-town romance that blends coming-of-age struggles, unexpected challenges, and a swoon-worthy connection between Madison and Hamilton.

✨ What Makes It Shine:
• A Bit of a Learning Curve: The beginning introduces a lot of characters and connections, which can feel overwhelming. But stick with it! Once the story finds its rhythm, it becomes impossible to put down.
• Raw, Relatable Emotions: Madison’s journey of navigating an unplanned pregnancy while pursuing her dreams is inspiring. Her struggles and resilience make her a character you’ll root for. Hamilton’s ambition and loyalty add depth to their undeniable chemistry.
• Narration That Captivates: Allie Martina absolutely nails the narration, infusing each character with emotion and bringing the story to life. Her performance elevates the book, making it an even more immersive experience.

If you’re a fan of small-town drama, slow-burn romance, and stories packed with heart and relatable challenges, Tailgates & Truck Dates is a must-read. It’s an emotional, unforgettable start to a series that will leave you eager for the next chapter. 🚗⚾❤️

Thank you to High Gravity Productions for the ALC access that made this review possible!
3 ⭐ 1 🌶️ 4 🎧

[Polly Barreto · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I didn’t know any better I could've swore that Ms. Rhoades was writing about me and the little small hometown in which I live in. Just like Madison, I too, had 4,724 reasons why I needed to leave my hometown. However, even with all those reasons, that small hometown just keeps pulling us back.

Madison keeps getting pulled back with all the friends that she left behind when she left for college and she is trying to get them all at an arm’s length. You see, she left with a secret….and one in which she is not yet ready to share. Me, personally – I think she should’ve told her secret, especially to the man that she loves and has the most to gain/loose when this secret does come out. Secrets always come out…. How long can Madison hold out??

This book does end on a small cliffy…apparently the answers to my questions can be found in book two, Tailgates & Heartaches (The Locals Book 2).

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

Overall this was a catchy story. It appears the series will follow a group of small town friends who graduate from high school together. This particular book focuses 2 of the friends, both single females. The narration is told mostly from one person's perspective, but occasionally jumps to the other friend, which I found a bit odd. The story sucked me in and the characters were mostly likeable, although 2 of the friends get married upon graduating high school and two other ones are immediately running their own businesses. The characters seemed more like college graduates that high school in my opinion. I found the writing a bit choppy and somewhat repetitive in sections, but I was able to overlook it enough to want to buy the second book in the series. Overall it was an easy and enjoyable read. I look forward to the rest of the series!

[M.L. Broome · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you looking for a fun-filled read about a group of friends living in Athens? No, not that Athens—but the small, rural Athens tucked away in the middle of nowhere. The story doesn’t revolve around one character but rather a cast, and Haley creates such vivid and three-dimensional folks that by the end you feel as if they’re your friends, too.

It shows life changing for these friends after graduation—some get married, some open a business, some get drafted and some...well, let’s leave some things for you to discover. Suffice it to say that their issues are real, ones we have all dealt with and will ache with familiarity.

Her story will take you back to your own days following graduation—when the world was yours for the taking—but which path to choose?

It’s an excellent story and I’m thrilled to add the second part of the duet to my TBR—immediately.

[EM · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deep, emotional, coming of age story of Madison and Hamilton as a group of nine friends, graduating from high school and entering the next stage of their lives. I loved how the story initially focused more on the relationships and details of the group of friends, rather than solely focusing on the two main characters at the start.

I really enjoyed the reasons for wanting to escape the town at the start of every chapter, I often forget to read these types of things at the start of a chapter when reading other books, but these ones had me anticipating the next hilarious (yet true) reasons to escape small town life (though many of those same reasons are what can make it worth staying).

This book is just the start of the journey of Madison and Hamilton, I can't wait to read the next books.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shanna Ferris · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧Audiobook review🎧
Single POV
Narrated by Allie Martina

This story follows Madison as she navigates life through HS graduation and upcoming changes that happen throughout the summer before college! Madison had always itched to leave behind her small town. And with her best friend Hamilton's baseball career taking off that feeling is even more apparent!! Many things happen and she's afraid she's going to be held back from her dreams. But Madison has always been a fighter and this situation is no different. So even though things aren't going how she planned them to she is determined to make the best of them!

This book was so sweet!! Allie did an incredible job with this single pov!! She brought out all the emotions sweet Madison went through so well!! I can't wait to listen to the next book!!

[Sue McArthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters in the story were engaging, and I was drawn in to wanting to know what happened to the characters, particularly Madison and Hamilton.

However I found the flow of the narrative frustrating and thought a number of times - what does this have to do with the story? These parts were mainly descriptive in nature and were long and unwieldy. The information about the characters could have been revealed in a less wordy way.

Overall the story did pull me in, and I am interested in what happens to the group of friends and their relationships.

I would recommend the book to readers who enjoy coming of age romances.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a decent very quick read that follows a group of friends in a small town. The timeline begins a week before their high school graduation and follows the characters through college, weddings, and careers. This book focused on two main story lines, though one sucked me in much more than the other. I am very intrigued to read more about Madison's story. The writing wasn't bad, though it could use another round of editing and maybe a little bit more development. All in all, I was still entertained and would be interested in reading the next book in the series.

I won this book in a giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

[BP34 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Locals Series and is a good start to the series. This is the story of eight high school graduates life in a small town but basically focuses on the lives of Adrian and Madison. It's told from a dual POV which allows you to know what they're both thinking. The story follows them during their lives from high school until later life. Attend their weddings, follow their pregnancies, their careers, their loves and heartbreaks. Full of drama of course and some heartbreak. A cute story that was easy to read. I look forward to additions to the series. I read an arc and voluntarily chose to review.

[Anne OK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upfront and honestly, the cute title is what sold me on one-clicking! Otherwise, it wasn't anything different and was a bit rough around the edges. Lots of unnecessary filler that was dull and boring. I would prefer the author to stick with the main two characters and not so much the frivolous details of the best friend's secondhand sales business. The writing definitely needs some clean-up work. Plus, there's a cliffhanger ending!

Although I'm nosey enough to want to know how the story works out, not sure if I'll continue on with this series -- unless it becomes available on Kindle Unlimited.

[thespicybooknerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tailgates and Truck Dates is a heartfelt story of a small town group of nine friends after high school graduation and focuses on Madison, who is desperate to leave her small town, and her best friend Hamilton, who gets called up to the Major Leagues, and the secret Madison keeps from him. This first book in the series does a great job of setting up the relationships between the nine friends, as well as small town living. Allie Martina narrates the audio edition of Tailgates and Truck Dates and does an excellent job voicing all of the characters of the story. I highly recommend giving the book a listen!

[Erin Stapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio Review:

Madison and Hamilton are the best of friends. The support they show one another is just heartwarming and something everyone should experience. They know each other better than anyone else and to be able to see how the connect was amazing. When Madison asks a favor from Hamilton little did they know how much it would change for them and their lives. I think Madison has good intent and I see her struggles. Hamilton is amazingly sweet and these two I see so much for and just want them to have that beautiful happy ending. This one was narrated by Allie Martina. As always she has a beautiful voice and did a fantastic job narrating this book.

[Taisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a fan of this one

The series is supposed to be about Madison and Hamilton but so far I am finding it severely lacks based on book one. There’s over sharing of the lives of the secondary characters meanwhile there is little to no character and relationship development between the FMC and the MMC. Although the story has potential to be better- it currently isn’t worth it for me to purchase the remaining books in the series. I can easily read each of the book’s synopsis and get the gist of what happens.

[Jocelyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first installment in The Locals, a new adult, small town, sports romance series. I liked this introduction to Madison and Hamilton's story. The story is beautifully written, emotional, and engaging, filled with secrets, and twists and turns. They are both interesting characters. I loved to follow Madison and Hamilton in this first part. Allie Martina did a great job bringing this story to life. Looking forward to listening to Tailgates & Heartaches, the next installment in the series, to know what happens next. #HighGravityProductions

[Kristie Godfrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small town Friendships and love

This was a beautiful story of small town friendships. How everything changes after Graduation. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves reading about small towns. Everyone knows everything about you. It is hard to keep secrets from the people that know you best. Haley Rhodes did a wonderful job introducing me to the characters. I can’t wait to see where the next book takes them.

[Kelly Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good. I wasn’t thrilled with the main character’s decisions so I didn’t feel much connection to her as the book went on. I liked the idea of it all and I like that the series will continue with other characters, but I don’t think I’ll keep reading them. I did get super attached to some of the characters in the beginning, and one situation definitely made me feel enough to cry, but I just kind of lost interest after.