My First and Only Crush

Wildfire Ranch #1

by Chloe Maine

Baseball’s most valuable player? He has hidden feelings for me that have grown all season long, and now they’ve reached a fevered, possessive peak…

I'm the coach's daughter, watching from the shadows as my father's best friend and star player wins the World Series for his team. Trick Lowry is almost twice my age and a bonafide celebrity, and I love him with my entire heart.

It's the kind of secret, off-limits crush that feeds wild fantasies and reckless ideas—like sneaking into his hotel room while he's celebrating, just to have a little slice of him to myself. I innocently surround myself with his smell, thinking he doesn’t have to know.

But when he finds me there, wearing nothing but his jersey, I get more than I bargained for. He wants me, too. And not just for a single night of celebration. He wants it all.

Genres: Sports, Novella, Sports Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance

162 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 26, 2024

About the author

Chloe Maine has written other books before, but none of them as purely id-driven as Before He Was Her Headmaster. She delights in the fantasy of bending big men to the craven desires of supposedly innocent women. When she’s not writing, she’s probably reading. She lives in Canada with her own big man, raising the babies they made together.

Reviews

[Izzah ꒰紅葉を期待 ಇ Duchess of Cabria꒱ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another "kindle-melting" flop

I've been looking for a kindle-melting read for the 2024 reading bingo challenge ✧˖°.🎧📖

Oh, don't get me wrong, the steam was on fire 💋🔥. But this is a steamy novella, don't have them do the deed after 50%...

I felt like the book was edging me and I didn't like it.

I don't mind authors establishing their characters but the moment he walked into his hotel room with the heroine wearing only his jersey (i think it was the one he used right after he played? so all sweaty and smelling like him) I need the hero to lose his mind. Not to tell her to put on her clothes and have dinner!!



What sort of twisted mind would come up with that reaction?! They acted like... like... like non-primal brain guided, responsible, regular real life people.

[Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m starting to think this is the best age gap author!
Soooo hot, romantic and safe!!!
Couldn’t care less about sports romance books, sorry, but I’d read anything by Chloe Maine!!!
She is 25 so not an 18 girl with a forty something man!
There’s daddy thing, not too hard, but it might be not for someone but honestly it is soooo good!
I hope the author will write a series from here with hero’s brother s, the ranch…

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

CM novellas are one of my biggest forms of procrastination 😭- they're just consistently good 😌.

Nothing will beat 'Above the Shop' for me, but this was cute- I liked the second half a lot more than the first, but overall it was sweet!

[april ♡ is probably reading smut · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

TROPES:
~age gap
~sports - baseball
~forbidden love - coach's daughter

Chloe Maine's books are so full of heat and sweetness. I enjoyed this one!! Gotta love a baseball player falling for his coach's daughter. ;)

SAFETY:
Ages: 25h, 42H
Virgin/celibate: virgin heroine, celibate hero
OM/OW drama: none
Cheating/sharing: nope
Kinks: breeding, rough sex, dirty talk
HEA?: yes!! <3

My bookshelves may contain spoilers.

[Kait · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️😍

Chloe Maine just has a special touch when it comes to age gap romance. No unnecessary drama. The smut is always 🥵🔥 And the connection between the MC’s is TOP TIER.

[**Tessa** (semi hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super sweet. Both MCs very likable. Safe. He knew her as a little girl but it was not gross or cringey. He “meets” her as an adult before and once her realizes who she is he has an internal battle but he loves her too much to fight for long

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

(DNF) Started out ok but slowly deteriorated. The heroine was annoying and I wasn't really convinced that the Hero was in love with the heroine. Overall, the writing was a little bland and there was no real chemistry between the MCs.

[girlwithhearteyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Ahhhh, another smutastic read about a girl, her dad’s friend/star baseball player, and the dirty daddy/breeding fantasies they have about each other until she sneaks into his hotel room to be surrounded by his scent not expecting to be discovered. (Of course he walks in.)

The writing/characters were a little uneven (and full disclosure, I wish they first met as adults), but steamy scenes were very, very good.

[Dar · Rating 5 out of 5]

These two absolutely sizzle, and that is before they even hook up! Call it what you will, age gap, best friends daughter, call me Daddy, have my baby, whatever, it was hot, Hot, HOT 🔥

[Kate Russo ❦ (Rina Kent’s Version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This this was fucking amazing oh my god not only is he a hot older man that plays baseball he also has a dirty as sin mouth OH MY FUCK I’m dripping fr ;) there was some missed words but idrc abt that. I loved how the dad didn’t make a huge big deal and go all alpha male on them 😭😭

[Jesi Blanco · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Agh, I love Chloe Maine novellas!! We've gotten another Lowry sibling -- and he's a professional baseball player (for the sports romance girls). Something that was different from her previous novellas is that Sinclair is actually 25, older than the previous fmcs.

Patrick or Trick is her father's best friend and they played for the same team before her dad retired. Their story doesn't start right away. There is a time jump between the time they meet again the first time and the second time. Sinclair is sassy and does have an innocence to her personality. Trick is possessive but also loving towards Sin.

✨️𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬+𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔✨️
- age gap (25h/41H), man obsessed, celebrity romance, forbidden romance, forced proximity, insta-love, mutual pining, sports romance
- br33ding k!nk, celibate H, d@ddy k!nk, edging/controlled Os, praise, primal play, virg!n h

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty one-dimensional ... as smut usually is.
When mixed with sports rom?
With a big hunky hulk and a sweet, petite ingenue?

The MVP H is her dad's protege , almost contemporary - 16 years age gap.
That's not the issue - I love most May-Dec romances which this is not!
It's more a sudden, mutual obsession smut with 'Daddy' kink thrown in.
I am no fan of said kink - especially when the real dad is a big factor in the story!
Actually, they are pretty much the 3 characters in this quick and fast deliverance to hea.

SO...
World cup under the belt ✅
A PYT virgin scored ✅
Now, retire to his ranch in Wyoming (in a log house 'maybe' built just for her) ✅
End/Hea ✅

[Teela (bookdragontee) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'm not scared of you, slugger."

The sweetness with which she says that makes me go still. "You should be."

"Why?"

"Because I'm scared by how much I want you."

"Oh." She gives me a little, crooked smile. "Is there such a thing as wanting someone too much?"

"Yes." I swallow hard.

"Why?"

"It would be all consuming."

The queen of the daddy kink has done it again. I love Chloe's books so much. They're such fun, and they're always perfect, bingeable palate cleansers. I usually don't gravitate towards sports romance as a sub-genre, but if Chloe writes it, you know I'll be there!

[Maria11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick easy sexy read. That about sums it up. You will enjoy it

Received copy from the author.

[nicklein · Rating 3 out of 5]

just 🌽 and vibes

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew going in it was gonna be 95% smut. Totally cool with that, but there was no chemistry at all between the main characters, the dirty talk was cringy 50% of the time, and it was waaaaaay too rushed. But eh, some scenes were hot.

[Just a Little Reading & Reviewing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being obsessed with Baseball most of his life means Patrick “Trick” Lowry hasn’t had much interest in anything else. Until he sees a silhouette of a mystery woman and suddenly he knows she’s it for him.

It comes as a shock to discover his mystery girl is his best friend’s daughter, Sinclair.

And that is the start of the spicy forbidden romance. I loved Trick and Sin's shared history that only builds after their reunion years later. I love Sinclair’s innocence and sass. She is the perfect match for Trick’s soft protective side and his sexy possessive Daddy side. Trick is a dirty talking baseball champ with a healthy serving of kink!

I've been waiting what feels like forever for this Baseball Daddy book and it was worth the wait! I loved their dynamic and their love story left me with the best feel good reading glow :)

If you like your smut with a heavy dose of romance and just enough kink, I can highly HIGHLY recommend this read. It will not disappoint 🥰

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

SPOILER-Y EXTRAS:

Ages : Sin is 25 and Trick is 41.

Heat Level: 5/5 Explicit with tons of dirty talk

OM/OW drama : None. Trick's been celibate for a long time and has had no serious relationships since he's been focused solely on his baseball career and Sin has been crushing on Trick and only Trick.

Tropes, Triggers & Kinks : Primal play, orgasm control, praise kink, age gap, daddy kink, breeding, unprotected sex, insta-love.

HEA/HFN :Ends on a HEA

[Kate ☕ (semi-hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, the daddy-kink... I know it's a kind of given in age-gap books, but still, for not fans like me, it could be a little irritating... Still enjoyed it very much, and I liked how the Hero dealt with her father 😊

[effin surrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

No epilogue😟😟

[thebeespot72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chloe Maine’s recent release, “My First and Only Crush,” was one of the quick romances with a little bit of everything but just the right amount. It was a baseball romance that wasn’t heavily in-your-face sporty. Twenty-five-year-old Sinclaire is the daughter of the baseball coach, who happens to have forty-one-year-old Patrick, her love interest and a family friend, on the team. Patrick first met Sinclaire when she was three, and she’s had a major crush on him ever since. However, being much older at the time and focused on his baseball career, he had a different path until their paths reconnected.

Chloe writes some of the best spice scenes with dirty-talking MMCs, and she throws in the “breading” and “milk” —who should not be named here—for those who enjoy it. Once Patrick gets talking, it’s like, wow!

[Ash (so there’s this book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Spice: 3.5/5🌶️
*spice ratings are relative to similar books in the same genre*

The Catalog: FM, father’s best friend, forbidden/taboo romance, forced proximity, uncut MMC, breeding kink, Daddy Dom, age gap (42x25)

Synopsis: Sinclair has had a crush on her father’s best friend and team player, Trick, for years, but knows that it’s one fantasy that will never come true. Trick has never really had feelings for anyone, but a mysterious woman at practice changes everything…until he realizes the woman of his dreams is his best friend’s daughter.

Thoughts:
Quick and smutty! I really enjoyed Trick’s filthy mouth 🥵 probably my fav iteration of breeding kink I’ve read

[Trace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chloe Maine hits another homerun. Trick is a baseball player and Sinclair is the daughter of his coach.
Both have the hots for each other but stay away from each during the season. Once is comes to an end they can finally reveil their feelings.
Trick wants to be her daddy and she is a virgin so makes for an wonderful night. After a amazing
night together they decided to show everyone that they are together even her father.
He isn't happy about it but fines out that they both want this.
Trick takes her back to Wyoming to show her their home that he built.
Loved this story very much. One of my favourite troups.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book just lacked plot and chemistry. I guess I just need a little more...❤️

[Aurora Rosette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trick is 42 but acts like a baby with temper tantrum

[Lyndsey Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I was completely mortified and constantly blushing at the filthy and spice contained in this. 🤭🤣 not sure how I feel with the ending as it has left a opening for a second book.

[Marcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fear I have unlocked an unhealthy obsession with these novellas by Chloe Maine. Oh dear. I think I’ve read four in the last 48 hours. 😂 They’re so deliciously unhinged and at times just pure smut and I ain’t mad about it.

[Jess (scijessreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exactly what you would expect from a Chloe Maine book. Smut with a side of innocent and a whole helping of age-gap and taboo.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured this in one sitting! Trick and Sin have everything you want. I loved this take on dad’s best friend age gap with her being slightly older. Not to mention it’s a different take on sports romance where we get to see the FMC loving the sport in a non traditional way. The dirty talk was next level. We get Daddy, breeding, protective MMC goodness. Ultimately, Chole has done it again and this is amazing - can’t wait for her next book!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 smutty breedable stars. All the best tropes: breeding, daddy, dad's best friend, pure obsession. Chloe Maine doing her thing but make it baseball.

Thanks to Chloe Maine for the arc and here is my honest review.

[Stacee Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love insta-love baseball age-gaps! I really like Trick and Sinclaire together! They’re sweet and spicy! I love the daddy and breeding kink!!