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Philly Sillys Baseball #1
Nailed at Home Plate
Book One in a Banana Ball team romance series with the hottest goofballs from the Philly Sillys
When her Major League crush becomes a major pain in her ass...
With years of theater and dance experience, Cadence Andrews was a shoo-in for the choreographer position for the city of Brotherly Love's Entertainment League Baseball team, the Philly Sillys. Philadelphia sports are in her blood, especially when the gorgeous catcher, Jamie Rheems, was traded to her beloved major league baseball team.
Jamie Rheems' destiny was to be a MLB catcher. Ever since he was old enough to join a team, he found himself behind home plate thanks to his sharp eye and lightning-quick reflexes. But when an injury causes him to lose his spark, it sends him to, what he considers, the joke of baseball.
Cadence is at a total loss when her crush suddenly shows up at her workplace. Not only does she have to deal with being face to face with Jamie, but she has to teach the gruff man how to dance and perform for a crowd. What she didn't expect was teaching him how to fall in love with her.
When her Major League crush becomes a major pain in her ass...
With years of theater and dance experience, Cadence Andrews was a shoo-in for the choreographer position for the city of Brotherly Love's Entertainment League Baseball team, the Philly Sillys. Philadelphia sports are in her blood, especially when the gorgeous catcher, Jamie Rheems, was traded to her beloved major league baseball team.
Jamie Rheems' destiny was to be a MLB catcher. Ever since he was old enough to join a team, he found himself behind home plate thanks to his sharp eye and lightning-quick reflexes. But when an injury causes him to lose his spark, it sends him to, what he considers, the joke of baseball.
Cadence is at a total loss when her crush suddenly shows up at her workplace. Not only does she have to deal with being face to face with Jamie, but she has to teach the gruff man how to dance and perform for a crowd. What she didn't expect was teaching him how to fall in love with her.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 25, 2025
705 people are currently reading
2208 people want to read
About the author
K. Iwancio
11 books201 followersI've been some semblance of a writer since 1st grade. That was when I first tasted the delight of getting a book published and reading it aloud to the class with rave reviews. What a power trip for a 7-year-old.
It wasn't until 7th grade that I was highly encouraged by my English teacher to continue writing poetry outside of class assignments. From there I moved on to Literary Club in 8th grade and added short stories to my repertoire.
When high school came around, that was when I discovered the wondrous world of FanFiction. It all went downhill from that point. Numerous teachers in high school loved my work and submitted some of my (safe) pieces for publication. My teachers were the reason that I told myself,
"I can do this. I can be a published author one day."
In college, the trend continued but I pursued a career path in the design sector and writing went on the back burner. That is until a month after THE GREATEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE, in 2022, I decided to start writing once again. It started with FanFic after FanFic, fast and furious.
Writing is my passion, my escape. Always has been, always will be.
It wasn't until 7th grade that I was highly encouraged by my English teacher to continue writing poetry outside of class assignments. From there I moved on to Literary Club in 8th grade and added short stories to my repertoire.
When high school came around, that was when I discovered the wondrous world of FanFiction. It all went downhill from that point. Numerous teachers in high school loved my work and submitted some of my (safe) pieces for publication. My teachers were the reason that I told myself,
"I can do this. I can be a published author one day."
In college, the trend continued but I pursued a career path in the design sector and writing went on the back burner. That is until a month after THE GREATEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE, in 2022, I decided to start writing once again. It started with FanFic after FanFic, fast and furious.
Writing is my passion, my escape. Always has been, always will be.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 439 reviews
February 1, 2025
Hmmm... I truly wanted to love this, because I LOVE the idea of combining Savannah Bananas with the Philadelphia Phillies, and the cover is simply adorable. However, there are a few HUGE problems with this book that are very concerning. For one, the author refers to a POC character in the book as "looking like he's from the coast of Spain, tan, and exotic". I'm sorry, what? This is 2025, and we should not be describing a POC as exotic; they are not zoo animals. Also, the author basically blatantly ripped off ACTUAL people. This feels like real person fiction, not just "based on" or "inspired by", and this is really not okay. This means there's no author creativity or authenticity, and brings forth the question of right of publicity. Did the real life players give their permission because this is WAY too close to the real thing, like their names, personalities, stats, positions they play, etc.
For example, the same character she called "exotic" is named Nick Costas, plays right field, and has a son named Leo. Nick Castellanos plays for the Philadelphia Phillies, is a right fielder, and has a son named Liam. Okay, fine. Then, we have Alex Boimler, third baseman in this book. So, basically Alec Bohm from the Philadelphia Phillies. Next, we have his bestie, Brandon Marsh in the book, when a REAL Brandon Marsh plays for the Philadelphia Phillies! So, she didn't even try to change his name. It's the SAME NAME. We also have Johan Ramos that plays in the outfield and is Dominican... just like Johan Rojas who actually plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. Another blatant rip off of a real person with real details. We also have Trea Tennant, who plays shortstop in the book, and Trea Turner is the real shortstop who plays for the real Philadelphia Phillies. She also mentions a pitcher named Ranger Santana and the REAL Ranger Suarez is a pitcher for the real Philadelphia Phillies. She did not even change the first name, and that is not a common name. She also included the fact that he's Venezuelan, which Ranger Suarez really is.
And the nail in the coffin is JT Rheems who is our MMC and is an older catcher. This is EXACTLY the same as JT Realmuto, the catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. I'm sorry, but is JT Realmuto okay with himself basically the character in a romance novel? I don't think so. It's just wrong and feels like the author is using real people's identities for fiction without consent.
Listen, I understand that most people reading this book won't catch these things because they don't know baseball or the Philadelphia Phillies all that well, if at all (which is a problem because did the author think no one would catch this?), but I do and I do NOT think it is okay to basically keep all the same names and details and not change much at all, if anything. This feels wrong, not creative or fiction at all, and is reminiscent of the whole Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce books that were coming out after they started dating and it is creepy and makes me feel like I am reading about real people hooking up. While it's not technically plagiarism, it does veer into misappropriation or unauthorized fictionalization of real people. It's framed as fiction but does not do enough to separate itself from reality, and that's the issue. I know this is indie published, because a real publisher would have NEVER allowed this. I'm sorry to call out the author on this, but it needs to be said. I hope that, as an ARC reader, this shows the author that this simply should not be published after all and if it is, it needs to be SIGNIFICANTLY changed.
Thank you to K. Iwancio for the eARC of this book.
For example, the same character she called "exotic" is named Nick Costas, plays right field, and has a son named Leo. Nick Castellanos plays for the Philadelphia Phillies, is a right fielder, and has a son named Liam. Okay, fine. Then, we have Alex Boimler, third baseman in this book. So, basically Alec Bohm from the Philadelphia Phillies. Next, we have his bestie, Brandon Marsh in the book, when a REAL Brandon Marsh plays for the Philadelphia Phillies! So, she didn't even try to change his name. It's the SAME NAME. We also have Johan Ramos that plays in the outfield and is Dominican... just like Johan Rojas who actually plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. Another blatant rip off of a real person with real details. We also have Trea Tennant, who plays shortstop in the book, and Trea Turner is the real shortstop who plays for the real Philadelphia Phillies. She also mentions a pitcher named Ranger Santana and the REAL Ranger Suarez is a pitcher for the real Philadelphia Phillies. She did not even change the first name, and that is not a common name. She also included the fact that he's Venezuelan, which Ranger Suarez really is.
And the nail in the coffin is JT Rheems who is our MMC and is an older catcher. This is EXACTLY the same as JT Realmuto, the catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. I'm sorry, but is JT Realmuto okay with himself basically the character in a romance novel? I don't think so. It's just wrong and feels like the author is using real people's identities for fiction without consent.
Listen, I understand that most people reading this book won't catch these things because they don't know baseball or the Philadelphia Phillies all that well, if at all (which is a problem because did the author think no one would catch this?), but I do and I do NOT think it is okay to basically keep all the same names and details and not change much at all, if anything. This feels wrong, not creative or fiction at all, and is reminiscent of the whole Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce books that were coming out after they started dating and it is creepy and makes me feel like I am reading about real people hooking up. While it's not technically plagiarism, it does veer into misappropriation or unauthorized fictionalization of real people. It's framed as fiction but does not do enough to separate itself from reality, and that's the issue. I know this is indie published, because a real publisher would have NEVER allowed this. I'm sorry to call out the author on this, but it needs to be said. I hope that, as an ARC reader, this shows the author that this simply should not be published after all and if it is, it needs to be SIGNIFICANTLY changed.
Thank you to K. Iwancio for the eARC of this book.
March 27, 2025
Oh man. As a fan of both the Phillies and Bananaball, I was told/dared to read this book. Life was better before I read it. I didn't know it was possible to cringe as hard as I did while reading it. The members of the Sillies are just caricatures of the current Phillies team. There's not even any creativity when it comes to it! Mix up their positions at least. Give me the vague impression that you're not trying to put real players in your book. I can read a lot of things, but this is just extremely bad fanfiction.
If you don't follow the Phillies, then you may actually enjoy this book. Unfortunately, I do follow the Phillies and feel the need to get rid of my Realmuto jersey after reading this. Granted I should've done that after the 2024 NLDS but this may have sealed the deal.
If you don't follow the Phillies, then you may actually enjoy this book. Unfortunately, I do follow the Phillies and feel the need to get rid of my Realmuto jersey after reading this. Granted I should've done that after the 2024 NLDS but this may have sealed the deal.
February 2, 2025
This book was incredibly sweet! I loved the dancing, the tension, and the hilarious moments. She includes a song at the beginning of each chapter, and in past, I have usually ignored that. This time, I listened to the song on repeat throughout the chapter and it made the reading so much more fun!
There’s some great spicy scenes and even a surprise character art after one of them. BIG FAN!
If you enjoy the Savanah Bananas, men falling first, and wondering what it’d be like to have your celebrity crush like you, this book is definitely for you!
There’s some great spicy scenes and even a surprise character art after one of them. BIG FAN!
If you enjoy the Savanah Bananas, men falling first, and wondering what it’d be like to have your celebrity crush like you, this book is definitely for you!
October 16, 2025
If you’re a fan of the Savannah Bananas and book boyfriends that are literally goals, you’ll love this book. Jamie and Cadence are literally such a cute couple. This whole book had me giggling and swooning.
March 8, 2025
Ebook. Arc! **Nailed at Home Plate releases on 3/25!!**
My first time getting to do an Arc read and I was so excited for this book since it is a sports romance mixing the Phillies and the Savannah Bananas! There were some things I liked but it didn’t quite live up to my excitement.
The dialogue and banter between our MC’s was pretty great. When they got to actually have dialogue it was really enjoyable.
There are a lot of fun Philly references which definitely made me nostalgic.
No 3rd act breakup!!
Plenty of spicy spice.
There is a lot of internal dialogue and it definitely made things feel slow and clunky, I wanted more of the MC’s interaction and less of being in their heads. Especially when we got to the description of the lawn care and mowing routine of the field.
The baseball puns during the spice were a personal turnoff but it definitely fits the sports theme.
Our FMC was great but her best friend was not. There’s absolutely a “blunt and tell you like it is” friend but Tiffiny came across more nasty and condescending than blunt.
The names being almost identical to real Phillies didn’t bother me but the author has already changed them in response to feedback.
Your personal mileage may vary, if you like spicy sports romance and don’t mind the heavy focus on internal monologuing vs actual conversation.
I am glad I had the chance to read this early and thanks to Kerry for finding the request for Arc readers!
My first time getting to do an Arc read and I was so excited for this book since it is a sports romance mixing the Phillies and the Savannah Bananas! There were some things I liked but it didn’t quite live up to my excitement.
The dialogue and banter between our MC’s was pretty great. When they got to actually have dialogue it was really enjoyable.
There are a lot of fun Philly references which definitely made me nostalgic.
No 3rd act breakup!!
Plenty of spicy spice.
There is a lot of internal dialogue and it definitely made things feel slow and clunky, I wanted more of the MC’s interaction and less of being in their heads. Especially when we got to the description of the lawn care and mowing routine of the field.
The baseball puns during the spice were a personal turnoff but it definitely fits the sports theme.
Our FMC was great but her best friend was not. There’s absolutely a “blunt and tell you like it is” friend but Tiffiny came across more nasty and condescending than blunt.
The names being almost identical to real Phillies didn’t bother me but the author has already changed them in response to feedback.
Your personal mileage may vary, if you like spicy sports romance and don’t mind the heavy focus on internal monologuing vs actual conversation.
I am glad I had the chance to read this early and thanks to Kerry for finding the request for Arc readers!
March 25, 2025
This was such a good book. I enjoyed reading it.
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
February 13, 2025
I was an ARC reader for this book and I really wanted to love it, but it has some problems.
The cast of characters are ripped straight from the real life Philadelphia Phillies without much change to their names. I watch baseball for one month out of the year and didn’t need to cross reference anything with the roster because I knew who was being talked about. I don’t know how they (particularly the religious JT) would feel about this book. It gives off fanfic vibes that borderline the drama off hockey BookTok when that sexual harassment was going on.
On top of that, there are several problematic things in the book that I’ve emailed the author about and hopefully they get changed.
1. There are two instances that come off as homophobic to me.
2. A conversation (about 3 pages) with the men in the locker room about how the FMC is grumpy and is probably on her period and the MMC wants to ask the married men for advice with “dealing with a difficult woman”
3. She refers to the players from the Dominican Republic as exotic.
More over, the characters in this book are very one dimensional. They don’t have a conversation about anything besides baseball, dancing, and sex until 66% through the book. The dialogues is cringe and overall the book felt icky to me.
Edit - the author is changing character names before the release as well as making other edits.
The cast of characters are ripped straight from the real life Philadelphia Phillies without much change to their names. I watch baseball for one month out of the year and didn’t need to cross reference anything with the roster because I knew who was being talked about. I don’t know how they (particularly the religious JT) would feel about this book. It gives off fanfic vibes that borderline the drama off hockey BookTok when that sexual harassment was going on.
On top of that, there are several problematic things in the book that I’ve emailed the author about and hopefully they get changed.
1. There are two instances that come off as homophobic to me.
2. A conversation (about 3 pages) with the men in the locker room about how the FMC is grumpy and is probably on her period and the MMC wants to ask the married men for advice with “dealing with a difficult woman”
3. She refers to the players from the Dominican Republic as exotic.
More over, the characters in this book are very one dimensional. They don’t have a conversation about anything besides baseball, dancing, and sex until 66% through the book. The dialogues is cringe and overall the book felt icky to me.
Edit - the author is changing character names before the release as well as making other edits.
March 27, 2025
This is my honest opinion. This might be one of your favorite books so please don’t let my opinion sway you.
I had high hopes for this book because I love the Savannah bananas/party animals, but this fell a little short for me.
The first thing that didn’t settle right with me is describing a POC as exotic. It felt like they were objectifying the person. I did message the author about it.
The whole obsessed with a baseball character and obsessing over him felt like something a teenager would do and was borderline creepy.
The book had so much potential and kinda just fell flat. Most of the dialogue was pretty much “he/she are insufferable, I think he/she is so hot, oooh s€x”
Cadence and Jt hardly had any real conversations and lacked character depth. Their relationship went from loathing each other to not being able to stay away from each other with no real conversations about it. It was like wham we are in love with each other after one night of dancing and a month of glares and not talking at all.
There were a couple of things I did like about this book. The banter and witty remarks were cute. The spice was ok as well.
I felt like it was ok but it left a lot to be desired.
I had high hopes for this book because I love the Savannah bananas/party animals, but this fell a little short for me.
The first thing that didn’t settle right with me is describing a POC as exotic. It felt like they were objectifying the person. I did message the author about it.
The whole obsessed with a baseball character and obsessing over him felt like something a teenager would do and was borderline creepy.
The book had so much potential and kinda just fell flat. Most of the dialogue was pretty much “he/she are insufferable, I think he/she is so hot, oooh s€x”
Cadence and Jt hardly had any real conversations and lacked character depth. Their relationship went from loathing each other to not being able to stay away from each other with no real conversations about it. It was like wham we are in love with each other after one night of dancing and a month of glares and not talking at all.
There were a couple of things I did like about this book. The banter and witty remarks were cute. The spice was ok as well.
I felt like it was ok but it left a lot to be desired.
February 17, 2025
This book had so much potential but it fell very short.
JT and Cadence were both very immature and then getting together was seemingly random. We get to know the characters very little or enough to believe they belong together. I actually enjoyed the relationship Cadence has with the rest of the Philly Sillys and the team as a whole more than the relationship between her and JT.
Although I understand this is a baseball adjacent book, the baseball puns were over the top and made me cringe. Especially when used during spicy scenes. In addition, it felt like the same exact descriptor words were used over and over again in multipolar instances (ex: farm/farming for minor league).
This book does have some decent banter and some pretty funny one-liners. The spice is there and somewhat enjoyable to read but partially cringey as well because I don’t understand the bond the characters have.
I’m sure someone will enjoy this book, but unfortunately I did not.
JT and Cadence were both very immature and then getting together was seemingly random. We get to know the characters very little or enough to believe they belong together. I actually enjoyed the relationship Cadence has with the rest of the Philly Sillys and the team as a whole more than the relationship between her and JT.
Although I understand this is a baseball adjacent book, the baseball puns were over the top and made me cringe. Especially when used during spicy scenes. In addition, it felt like the same exact descriptor words were used over and over again in multipolar instances (ex: farm/farming for minor league).
This book does have some decent banter and some pretty funny one-liners. The spice is there and somewhat enjoyable to read but partially cringey as well because I don’t understand the bond the characters have.
I’m sure someone will enjoy this book, but unfortunately I did not.
February 2, 2025
I read this book as an ARC.
I read all different genres, and I typically love sports romance. However, this book was not it for me. I stopped reading this book at the halfway point.
The story was a good concept. However, it was very drawn out. What I did read could have been written in 5 chapters or less. The book was very predictable. Even without finishing it, I could probably tell you how it ends.
Every chapter was drawn out, and there was no emotional pull at all in any direction. I found myself speed reading just to get to the next part.
Overall, it was very boring, and there was not a lot of story building at all.
I read all different genres, and I typically love sports romance. However, this book was not it for me. I stopped reading this book at the halfway point.
The story was a good concept. However, it was very drawn out. What I did read could have been written in 5 chapters or less. The book was very predictable. Even without finishing it, I could probably tell you how it ends.
Every chapter was drawn out, and there was no emotional pull at all in any direction. I found myself speed reading just to get to the next part.
Overall, it was very boring, and there was not a lot of story building at all.
February 4, 2025
I was really excited to read this one-I love the Savannah Bananas!-but it was a major let down.
The first major problem is that the characters are too closely named after real life players. Brandon Marsh to Brandon Marrs isn’t far enough of a stretch for me. Bryce Harper to Bryce Heart is painfully close. It gives the story an uncomfortable fan fiction vibe and feels disrespectful of the real people.
The second problem was a major lack of editing. We have characters “divulging” themselves of clothing and “shuttering” at a touch from their love interest. The writing style itself was much more show than tell but the lack of proper grammar and editing took me out of the story completely.
The first major problem is that the characters are too closely named after real life players. Brandon Marsh to Brandon Marrs isn’t far enough of a stretch for me. Bryce Harper to Bryce Heart is painfully close. It gives the story an uncomfortable fan fiction vibe and feels disrespectful of the real people.
The second problem was a major lack of editing. We have characters “divulging” themselves of clothing and “shuttering” at a touch from their love interest. The writing style itself was much more show than tell but the lack of proper grammar and editing took me out of the story completely.
March 26, 2025
This was my first Baseball Romance, and let me tell you—it did NOT disappoint! As someone who grew up playing softball, married to a man who's been playing baseball his whole life, and now coaching together, this story was right up my alley. I loved every second of it. Now, I’m dying to see the Philly Sillys in action! And let me just say—THE SPICE was on point! That locker room scene... whew, YAAAAS—totally nailed it. I can't wait to read the next one!
February 3, 2025
I loved how sweet this book was. I loved the role reversal, the FMC didn't know how to deal with her feelings and was gruf and grumpy. Love the sports theme and the side characters. The ending and wrap up felt kinda rushed.
September 21, 2025
DNF’d just bad lol
October 5, 2025
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish there was more baseball.
November 8, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
5/5 🌶️
5/5 🌶️
June 2, 2025
a delight on every page
Omg I loved this book. It helps that I’m a Phillies fan and loved envisioning JT Realmuto and the other Phillies players as these characters, but I literally loved every second of this book. It was just so sweet (and the perfect amount of spice). Also, Go Birds!
Omg I loved this book. It helps that I’m a Phillies fan and loved envisioning JT Realmuto and the other Phillies players as these characters, but I literally loved every second of this book. It was just so sweet (and the perfect amount of spice). Also, Go Birds!
February 18, 2025
You know how when you sit down dressed in comfy clothes and coffee/tea all cuddled up ready to read and get completely thrown into the world that you’re reading? I didn’t get that with this book. There wasn’t enough world building for us non-baseball knowing people. There wasn’t enough relationship building between the main characters. Heck! Even between Cadence and Tiffany! I love when we read books and you see how the best friends are each other’s ROD. You can’t see any of that with any of the characters. It seemed that this was thrown together based on reality and not imagination. Which, if that was intentional, please just let the readers know prior.
I love the idea of this book, but I just couldn’t get into it for obvious reasons and there were some things that need to be changed for the final copy.
The first is how you won’t know whose POV you’re reading from. I’ve had to start a chapter very confused as to who is speaking until I got to a point where they would either describe the person speaking or something around them that would only be for that specific character.
The second being the word “exotic” while describing a character from DR…
The first two things took away a lot for me. Especially the first one! It took a lot out of me to figure out which POV we were in that I just DNF. This is the first arc I’ve ever DNF and I feel so bad.
I love the idea of this book, but I just couldn’t get into it for obvious reasons and there were some things that need to be changed for the final copy.
The first is how you won’t know whose POV you’re reading from. I’ve had to start a chapter very confused as to who is speaking until I got to a point where they would either describe the person speaking or something around them that would only be for that specific character.
The second being the word “exotic” while describing a character from DR…
The first two things took away a lot for me. Especially the first one! It took a lot out of me to figure out which POV we were in that I just DNF. This is the first arc I’ve ever DNF and I feel so bad.
March 25, 2025
so i was seeing this book all over Threads and decided to apply for an ARC. i am a huge baseball fan and although im not super into bananaball its always a lot of fun to watch the highlights.
the characters were easily to like and didn't really do anything annoying that took me out of the story. JT is grumpy on the outside, total cinnamon roll on the inside and a little jaded from years of being a pro athlete. cadence is fun and perky, she's hard working and isn't into the fame component.
the story is super easy to follow and really low drama. i did feel like it wrapped up super quickly at the end, i almost wished for a little more drama or conflict but it was pretty much HEA early on.
overall, i think this is a good book for someone coming out of a series that needs a little something to reset their brain.
what's inside:
-Banana ball
-catcher x team choreographer
-grumpy/sunshine
-workplace romance
cw:
-descriptive sexual content (4🌶️)
the characters were easily to like and didn't really do anything annoying that took me out of the story. JT is grumpy on the outside, total cinnamon roll on the inside and a little jaded from years of being a pro athlete. cadence is fun and perky, she's hard working and isn't into the fame component.
the story is super easy to follow and really low drama. i did feel like it wrapped up super quickly at the end, i almost wished for a little more drama or conflict but it was pretty much HEA early on.
overall, i think this is a good book for someone coming out of a series that needs a little something to reset their brain.
what's inside:
-Banana ball
-catcher x team choreographer
-grumpy/sunshine
-workplace romance
cw:
-descriptive sexual content (4🌶️)
dnf
June 28, 2025I was so excited for this ARC, especially since I love this author’s previous work—but Nailed at Home Plate just didn’t work for me. The writing felt completely different from what I’ve come to expect from K. Iwancio, even at the ARC level. One of the biggest issues was strange verbiage and tense use, making the narrative feel distant and sluggish. As well, instead of natural development, I felt like I was being force-fed the (vague) plot the entire time.
With a grumpy x sunshine and coach/player dynamic, I expected some real tension and angst, but instead, for the entire first quarter, it's an entitled MMC whose only emotions were pissed but horny and an FMC who couldn’t stay professional because she was too busy fangirling. Their interactions felt forced, and any potential chemistry was overshadowed by her inability to act like a professional and his constant bad attitude.
I made it about 30% before I had to DNF—I was struggling.
With a grumpy x sunshine and coach/player dynamic, I expected some real tension and angst, but instead, for the entire first quarter, it's an entitled MMC whose only emotions were pissed but horny and an FMC who couldn’t stay professional because she was too busy fangirling. Their interactions felt forced, and any potential chemistry was overshadowed by her inability to act like a professional and his constant bad attitude.
I made it about 30% before I had to DNF—I was struggling.
March 21, 2025
This book is cute, featuring a fun twist on The Savannah Bananas with the charmingly chaotic Philly Sillys. When JT, a former major league player, finds himself reluctantly joining the team due to an injury, he’s less than thrilled. Used to a more serious game, he struggles to adjust, especially when it comes to learning the team’s lively choreography. Enter Cadence, who’s determined to get him into the groove. She’s harbored a crush on JT for years, and as they spend more time together, their chemistry becomes undeniable. Their romance is a perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and full of playful energy. If you're in the mood for a fun, feel good read with plenty of heat, this one definitely deserves a spot on your TBR!
Thank you, K. Iwancio for the ARC.
Thank you, K. Iwancio for the ARC.
February 21, 2025
I always have a hard time rating cheesy romance books. Rating in general can be hard. I loved this book, but I also loved The Women by Kristin Hannah, and I don’t think those two can be scored on the same scale. SO:
Romance book rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sports Romance Book Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I’m sorry, I feel like my ratings above are in the context it truly should be rated, but I can’t in good conscious rate it any higher due to other books I’ve rated at 4/5 and 5/5).
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️
I was so excited to be selected to receive ARC. I read a wide range of genres. Especially after reading Firefly Lane and Onyx Storm last month, and navigating some serious health issues, I was in need of a light hearted romance and this👏 hit👏 the👏 spot👏. (The Pinterest inspo board was also a big help).
Like many other romance books like this, there were definitely the cheesy moments that made me cringe, but that’s what we LOVE about them! Of course the “I want to nail you at home plate” line was used and that was big cringe, but a GOOD cringe. Sometimes we need those good cringe moments. Those cringe moments are what gives us some hope and want to experience those romantic, cheesy moments in life; where it’s not serious and we can just be with a person we admire/love, with no judgment as to if it’s cheesy or cringy.
Overall, I liked this book. I will definitely be reaching for other K. Iwancio books. My favorite thing about it? NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP! That trope is the WORSE. Was there a lil mis/non-communication moment that made my blood boil (maybe not boil, but brought to a simmer)? Yes, but I would take that conflict over a third act breakup ANY DAY.
When K. Iwancio said that this book would be very spicy, she was not wrong. I felt a little grossed out seeing the dedication was to her dad, knowing that it was supposed to be very spicy, but to each their own. My only wish, in general for the spicy book world, was a book here and there that had an FMC who struggles to reach her climax since that is a common experience. But the idea of how it happens in books? f-ing hot.
I can be a lil stickler on things that I don’t think add up as much, wouldn’t happen IRL, or just have random thoughts SO, read below:)
A few of my notes:
pg. 14: “Little Brothers who had some very nice bodies.” Babes, no.
pg. 23: “[ELB] solely exhausted just to put on a show for the crowd.” Isn’t this all sports? Without crowd paying money to go watch, they’d be obsolete. Not a critique, just a thought.
pg. 53: (Talking about JT’s first practice with the silly’s) “You don’t think I was being too hard on him, do you?” Yes, yes you were. You didn’t teach him the choreography and just said to follow along.
pg. 138: “JT’s hands hit the steering wheel, causing the truck to let out a strangled honk.” Did not like those vibes. Expressing emotion through hitting something rather than saying it?🚩
Also pg. 138: “‘Dammit, Cadence!’ I froze. ‘Will you just listen to me for once?’” considering that yall have barely talked one on one, don’t think that was needed. Everything about JT it a beige or green flag but this?🚩
pg. 147: “porcelain orb” yep, that’s a new phrase for boob.
pg. 266: “ever since we met one another, I knew we’re prefect together.” No you didn’t. At first you thought she didn’t like you and you were put off by her. Once you two actually started talking and, well, did other things, you thought that.
pg. 301: “I brought you to this field.” Babes no you didn’t, she works there. It was game day. You didn’t bring her anywhere. You brought her ON to the field.
A few of my highlights:
pg. 14: “What was it with guys in sports and spanking eachother?” (yes! Because WHY?!)
pg. 25: “If there was even a hint of something off in any aspect of my life, my body went into immediate “doomsday protocol,” complete with stress sweat and body-aching anxiety.” (So f-ing real).
pg. 52: “Why was it so difficult to find a decent man in real life? Or at least a tolerable one. Was it too much to find a man who was lovingly obsessed with their woman? Not in a creepy sort of stalker kind of way. The way where they were passionate in bed and thought about uou even when you weren’t together. Then came home to show you how much they missed you.” (Again, so f-ing real).
pg. 110: “My heart had been in my throat, choking me out like a morally gray character in a dark romance.”
I’m looking forward to the next Philly Silly’s book and hope that I can get my hands on another ARC. Ranger and Tiffiny next?👀
🚨UPDATE🚨
After reading other reviews, I found out that the names of the Philly Silly’s players were very close to people who play pro ball in Philly. That definitely was not a fun thing to learn, it makes it feel like the book was more fan fiction than a book; HOWEVER, I am glad to hear that the author is changing the names of the Philly Silly’s players. So I guess the names I have above for the players will make zero sense when the book is released, but that’s okay! I’m just glad that change is being made.
ADDITIONALLY After seeing some other reviews, I noticed people pointing out some problematic language (ex: “exotic”) being used to describe players from other countries, specifically those with Hispanic and Latino backgrounds. While it was far from slurs, if this language was used, I do hope that the author takes it out before release. This was not anything I noticed right away and I could not find it when I went back, but I also did not know exactly where to look.
Romance book rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sports Romance Book Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I’m sorry, I feel like my ratings above are in the context it truly should be rated, but I can’t in good conscious rate it any higher due to other books I’ve rated at 4/5 and 5/5).
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️
I was so excited to be selected to receive ARC. I read a wide range of genres. Especially after reading Firefly Lane and Onyx Storm last month, and navigating some serious health issues, I was in need of a light hearted romance and this👏 hit👏 the👏 spot👏. (The Pinterest inspo board was also a big help).
Like many other romance books like this, there were definitely the cheesy moments that made me cringe, but that’s what we LOVE about them! Of course the “I want to nail you at home plate” line was used and that was big cringe, but a GOOD cringe. Sometimes we need those good cringe moments. Those cringe moments are what gives us some hope and want to experience those romantic, cheesy moments in life; where it’s not serious and we can just be with a person we admire/love, with no judgment as to if it’s cheesy or cringy.
Overall, I liked this book. I will definitely be reaching for other K. Iwancio books. My favorite thing about it? NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP! That trope is the WORSE. Was there a lil mis/non-communication moment that made my blood boil (maybe not boil, but brought to a simmer)? Yes, but I would take that conflict over a third act breakup ANY DAY.
When K. Iwancio said that this book would be very spicy, she was not wrong. I felt a little grossed out seeing the dedication was to her dad, knowing that it was supposed to be very spicy, but to each their own. My only wish, in general for the spicy book world, was a book here and there that had an FMC who struggles to reach her climax since that is a common experience. But the idea of how it happens in books? f-ing hot.
I can be a lil stickler on things that I don’t think add up as much, wouldn’t happen IRL, or just have random thoughts SO, read below:)
A few of my notes:
pg. 14: “Little Brothers who had some very nice bodies.” Babes, no.
pg. 23: “[ELB] solely exhausted just to put on a show for the crowd.” Isn’t this all sports? Without crowd paying money to go watch, they’d be obsolete. Not a critique, just a thought.
pg. 53: (Talking about JT’s first practice with the silly’s) “You don’t think I was being too hard on him, do you?” Yes, yes you were. You didn’t teach him the choreography and just said to follow along.
pg. 138: “JT’s hands hit the steering wheel, causing the truck to let out a strangled honk.” Did not like those vibes. Expressing emotion through hitting something rather than saying it?🚩
Also pg. 138: “‘Dammit, Cadence!’ I froze. ‘Will you just listen to me for once?’” considering that yall have barely talked one on one, don’t think that was needed. Everything about JT it a beige or green flag but this?🚩
pg. 147: “porcelain orb” yep, that’s a new phrase for boob.
pg. 266: “ever since we met one another, I knew we’re prefect together.” No you didn’t. At first you thought she didn’t like you and you were put off by her. Once you two actually started talking and, well, did other things, you thought that.
pg. 301: “I brought you to this field.” Babes no you didn’t, she works there. It was game day. You didn’t bring her anywhere. You brought her ON to the field.
A few of my highlights:
pg. 14: “What was it with guys in sports and spanking eachother?” (yes! Because WHY?!)
pg. 25: “If there was even a hint of something off in any aspect of my life, my body went into immediate “doomsday protocol,” complete with stress sweat and body-aching anxiety.” (So f-ing real).
pg. 52: “Why was it so difficult to find a decent man in real life? Or at least a tolerable one. Was it too much to find a man who was lovingly obsessed with their woman? Not in a creepy sort of stalker kind of way. The way where they were passionate in bed and thought about uou even when you weren’t together. Then came home to show you how much they missed you.” (Again, so f-ing real).
pg. 110: “My heart had been in my throat, choking me out like a morally gray character in a dark romance.”
I’m looking forward to the next Philly Silly’s book and hope that I can get my hands on another ARC. Ranger and Tiffiny next?👀
🚨UPDATE🚨
After reading other reviews, I found out that the names of the Philly Silly’s players were very close to people who play pro ball in Philly. That definitely was not a fun thing to learn, it makes it feel like the book was more fan fiction than a book; HOWEVER, I am glad to hear that the author is changing the names of the Philly Silly’s players. So I guess the names I have above for the players will make zero sense when the book is released, but that’s okay! I’m just glad that change is being made.
ADDITIONALLY After seeing some other reviews, I noticed people pointing out some problematic language (ex: “exotic”) being used to describe players from other countries, specifically those with Hispanic and Latino backgrounds. While it was far from slurs, if this language was used, I do hope that the author takes it out before release. This was not anything I noticed right away and I could not find it when I went back, but I also did not know exactly where to look.
February 4, 2025
I was so happy to receive this book as an advanced copy and I’ve read other people’s reviews of this book and I definitely have to disagree with some of my fellow readers.
I am a huge Philadelphia sports fan and love my Philadelphia Phillies and I thought the way the other wrote this as a part of the Phillies organization was genius. I know other reviewers didn’t appreciate the slight name changes or similarities with the current Phillies players but I actually loved it. It gave me a bit more of a visual of who these characters look like without me thinking they were actually Bryce Harper, Garret Staubb, or even JT Realmuto.
I thought this story was sweet with the male lead JT being sent to the Philly Sillies to train after his injury. We love a forbidden romance especially when both JT and Candence clearly want each other but can't because of the workplace. It was nice to see their relationship blossom and organically throughout the book.
I love how JT went at least 5 years since his last relationship and that he values relationships and wanting them to be meaningful rather than just having flings.
I thought it was also funny to see how they used all the baseball puns throughout the book and loved how JT's game improved with his relationship getting serious with Candence.
Overall, as a Phillies fan and loving the concept of Savannah Bananas I loved this book and it was real cute.
I am a huge Philadelphia sports fan and love my Philadelphia Phillies and I thought the way the other wrote this as a part of the Phillies organization was genius. I know other reviewers didn’t appreciate the slight name changes or similarities with the current Phillies players but I actually loved it. It gave me a bit more of a visual of who these characters look like without me thinking they were actually Bryce Harper, Garret Staubb, or even JT Realmuto.
I thought this story was sweet with the male lead JT being sent to the Philly Sillies to train after his injury. We love a forbidden romance especially when both JT and Candence clearly want each other but can't because of the workplace. It was nice to see their relationship blossom and organically throughout the book.
I love how JT went at least 5 years since his last relationship and that he values relationships and wanting them to be meaningful rather than just having flings.
I thought it was also funny to see how they used all the baseball puns throughout the book and loved how JT's game improved with his relationship getting serious with Candence.
Overall, as a Phillies fan and loving the concept of Savannah Bananas I loved this book and it was real cute.
February 1, 2025
This book was absolutely delightful from start to finish. I love a good sports romance and Nailed at Home Plate did not disappoint. I love a good pun and the author was slipping in the baseball puns anywhere she could. I was laughing so hard at some of them that I started choking. I was giggling and kicking my feet the whole way through.
If you’ve ever watched the Savannah Bananas or Party Animals on TikTok you’re going to love this book! The story centers on Cadence who works for the Philly Sillys as their choreographer and JT who has been recently demoted from the major leagues to the entertainment league due to an injury messing with his batting average.
Cadence has had a crush on him since she first saw him play. So meeting JT is simultaneously a dream come true and a problem. JT takes one look at her and is basically a goner.
I love that Cadence never backed down in the beginning. JT can be a real stick in the mud but she didn’t let that stop her. I really enjoyed how even though Cadence had a crush on him first, JT was still falling for her at the same rate. JT not being just a dumb jock that has slept with everyone was such a breath of fresh air. His rules had me cackling once I realized what they spelled.
I’m really hoping that we’ll get a book on Cadence’s friend and the Sillys mascot, Tiffiny. I absolutely need to know what’s happening with her!
If you’ve ever watched the Savannah Bananas or Party Animals on TikTok you’re going to love this book! The story centers on Cadence who works for the Philly Sillys as their choreographer and JT who has been recently demoted from the major leagues to the entertainment league due to an injury messing with his batting average.
Cadence has had a crush on him since she first saw him play. So meeting JT is simultaneously a dream come true and a problem. JT takes one look at her and is basically a goner.
I love that Cadence never backed down in the beginning. JT can be a real stick in the mud but she didn’t let that stop her. I really enjoyed how even though Cadence had a crush on him first, JT was still falling for her at the same rate. JT not being just a dumb jock that has slept with everyone was such a breath of fresh air. His rules had me cackling once I realized what they spelled.
I’m really hoping that we’ll get a book on Cadence’s friend and the Sillys mascot, Tiffiny. I absolutely need to know what’s happening with her!
February 3, 2025
Nailed at Home Plate by K. Iwancio
OK, I’ll be the first one that I’m not a big sports romance girl, but when I saw this book, I knew I needed to dive in! From start to finish, I was enraptured! I really could not put this book down!
From just the best baseball puns two adorable moments this book will have you saying awwww about a million times as well as laughing your butt off! I love the dynamics of all of the character characters within this book! Between the team and their coach Cadence with there sibling vibes to Cadence and JT!
The spice was 10 out of 10 and it was perfectly placed so I didn’t overpower the plot but brought its own element into the story! This baseball romance is one for the ages! See you at home plate! 😉
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3🌶️🌶️🌶️
OK, I’ll be the first one that I’m not a big sports romance girl, but when I saw this book, I knew I needed to dive in! From start to finish, I was enraptured! I really could not put this book down!
From just the best baseball puns two adorable moments this book will have you saying awwww about a million times as well as laughing your butt off! I love the dynamics of all of the character characters within this book! Between the team and their coach Cadence with there sibling vibes to Cadence and JT!
The spice was 10 out of 10 and it was perfectly placed so I didn’t overpower the plot but brought its own element into the story! This baseball romance is one for the ages! See you at home plate! 😉
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3🌶️🌶️🌶️
February 3, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! The dual pov was great. My only critique is that it did not alternate every single chapter so it was hard for me to flip in my mind on who was talking as the chapters were not labeled like some books that I have read previously. The spicy chapters are plentiful, but do start later on in the book. I think the ending was great and appreciate that an epilogue was included to wrap this story in a nice little bow. Excited to see what comes next in this series. Ranger in book 2??
August 6, 2025
This was my first baseball romance, and boy, oh boy, was it spicy. I was very excited to read this book since it took place in Philadelphia. Being a Philly girl myself, I love reading books that take place in the area. I absolutely love the idea of the Philly Sillys. It sounds like soo much fun, I wish it was real. The spice in this book- 🥵 had me fanning myself. The tension between Cadence and Jamie was perfect. The banter was hilarious. I am looking forward to the next book when it comes out.
July 11, 2025
This felt like a glorified fanfic in all the best ways! Easy reading with not a ton of character development/plotting. Just two people falling in love with some hilarious banter. Spicy spicy spicy !!!
September 8, 2025
Unfortunately this was like really really bad Phillies fan fiction. Smut was pretty good though!
1.5⭐️
1.5⭐️
January 23, 2025
Beta reader here! I have done a few books for this author! Let me say, I fell in love with the characters. I even had happy tears® it definitely takes a lot for me to get there.
Few spicy moments are listed as well. Chapter 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, and 22 are worthy of hotness! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Cady and JT have the chemistry started with little banter playfulness. And ending, is just cute as hell!
You definitely must love sports to appreciate this author's work!
Check it out March 25, 2025 just in time for spring training. ⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️
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