Holy hell this was so addictive! I never thought golf could be sexy but if there was one person who could do it it would be Tessa Bailey. And boy did she do it. I am head over heels in love with Wells and Josephine. Fangirl Down had everything I wanted, heart, humor, and spice!

Once again, Tessa Bailey serves us a fun, comical, entertaining and spicy romcom read to start of the season of love with a bang, or as they are in this book, several. (Giggity) We meet Wells, a seasoned Pro Golfer who has been off his game lately, acting eccentric on the course, and ready to give up on his career. The only reason he hasn't this far? Josephine. His number one fan.

After tossing his career down the drain, losing his temper on Josephine, while drowning his sorrows in his apartment, he's given one last chance after he apologizes and requests her to be his caddie. Josephine accepts, due to her need to fix her golf shop that was recently hit by a hurricane, and is in need of funds. Wells finds that Josephine's presence and belief in him springs up feelings - and body parts - as well as hope that he can still have a future in golf. But when Josephine makes enough money to fix her store, how will he be able to continue?

What I love about Tessa's books is she serves us exactly what she says she will every time. I love her books as the beautiful palate cleansers they are after reading a dense and emotional book, or epic fantasy. You're served humor, a light enough plot that you know will end in a happily ever after, a grumpy/sunshine trope that'll make you squeal, and toe-curling spicy scenes that serve every single time.

Ratings:
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4.5.5
Romance: 5/5
Spice: 4/5
Overall: 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Fangirl Down was a super cute, spicy read that hooked me from the beginning. Love love LOVE the concept of being a fangirl that gets to live happily ever after with her pro-athlete crush. I enjoyed the representation in this book and I think Tessa Bailey knocked it out of the park, as per usual!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Is the cutest grumpy/sunshine story. Watching Josephine struggle in the beginning with not only her life but her health as well made her so relatable is so many ways. Then you have Wells the super grumpy golf pro who shares his ups and down with Josephine. Definitely a must read for all rhe romance readers!

Big thanks to Avon for the ARC of this book via NetGalley. This review is being given honestly and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Overall 4.5/5 stars and rounded up to 5 based on my enjoyment

Fangirl Down was a really cute romance that has classic Tessa Bailey markings while still being fresh and fun. I’ll be honest that sometimes Bailey’s writing feels really predictable especially cuz most of her MMCs are OTT Alphas and very boy obsessed (which don’t get me wrong, I love) but can lose its luster so to speak. Her newest release has been so much fun because it was predictable in the HEA, and OTT Alpha boy obsessed MMC way BUT she also did some things I didn’t expect and had so much fun reading.

Josephine was a really fun character and I will not lie Bailey had me scared that she was going to manic-pixie dream girl her way through this book and Wells’ comeback but she made Josephine really real to me (which may not make sense) with a fleshed out personality and making her goals separate from Wells. Wells is an emotionally hard-up has-been golfer and there were times Bailey had me scared she was gonna toxic, let-me-hurt-you-for-my-own-good girl boss her way through this character but she didn’t which I am grateful for. Obviously Wells said some mean stuff to Josephine to get her to give up on him as his lone fangirl but none of it was actually over the top hurtful/hella toxic and he immediately regretted it which led to them getting to know each other more.

There are so many ways this book and the plot devices/tropes Bailey used could have gone wrong or made me hate the characters but she did such a good job of avoiding those pitfalls. I also really appreciated the character growth both of the characters go through, realistically it was mostly Wells and his need to self-sabotage things in order to avoid getting hurt and Bailey handled this real well, though he mostly relied on Josephine to help him through this, she did a lot of the emotional labor by pointing these things out to him, and he would kinda get defensive but accept she was right and eventually absorb those lessons. So could have been a bit better cuz we were really toeing the line of manic-pixie dream girl territory/my cooch will magically heal your emotions.

There was also the aspect of Josephine’s Type 1 diabetes but Bailey did such a good job of just making it something that we learn about Josephine versus making IT Josephine. Like it had such little bearing on the plot/romance that I forgot about it till now. There are some moments where it plays into the book such as an opportunity to build trust and intimacy between the characters but it never becomes the sole focus or takes over Josephine’s character/her romance with Wells.

Overall this was a really fun book while also focusing on real problems which i loved and i can’t wait for the next book in the series because that one sounds hella fun too.

P.S. there was indeed some butt stuff and the spice was SPICING

Normally I’d say golf is about as fun as watching grass grow, but Tessa Bailey might have changed my mind. Jk…I still wouldn’t watch golf BUT i would fuck it 😜 On a serious note, this book is a hole-in-one! It truly might be my favorite Tessa Bailey book and that is not something I throw around lightly. My main man Myles is shaking in his pages right now 🥺

This book was a JOY to read!! It has classic Tessa Bailey humor and banter, it has so much heart I was maybe fucking crying idk you didn’t see it, and it was steamy but emotional and hot and I was like 🫠

This book started off with a bang…the opening scene literally reminded me of me at any concert or sporting event I went to when I was 18-21 lol I always held out hope someone famous would just catch a glimpse of me in the crowd and fall in love 🤣 I guess I just needed to hang around golf courses! Anyways, Josephine is me and I am her lol she’s the ultimate fangirl of Wells Whitaker. He notices her and attempts to put her off of him once and for all. Because he’s a has-been…right? Maybe not with Josephine’s help 🤭🥹

The way the relationship between Josephine and Wells develops from this fan-celebrity relationship to full blown mutual love and respect had me DYING. It felt real. It felt believable. And it kinda made me cry (maybe, you weren’t there). This book was just so romantic AND there’s some 🍑 stuff for him 😉 I just love the way Tessa Bailey blends all of this heart with humor and heat and some good ol’ dirty talk!!

I highly recommend this book and hope you love it as much as I did! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I literally can’t wait to reread 🥰

Thanks to Avon and Tessa Bailey for the ARC! All opinions are my own (obvi because this was literally word/feeling vomit 🤣)

Full disclosure: I picked up this book thinking, how the hell can anyone make golf hot? Especially when Tessa Bailey’s signature dirty talk doesn’t generally work for me as a reader.

Somehow she did it. She made golf hot. The impossible was achieved. Josephine and Wells are grumpy/sunshine perfection - they both love this sport but approach it from two different angles. Reading about them on the tour, trying to help Wells find his greatness and love of the game again, made golf interesting to me, a professed golf hater. And their chemistry is off the charts. They’re so well matched, and exactly what the other one needs at that moment in time.

Josephine is bold and self assured and so talented at golf. Her mind is her greatest asset in the sport, and she shines on the page. And she’s type 1 diabetes rep! Wells is one of my favorite types of MMC - grumpy and growly on the surface with a heart of gold underneath. It just takes the right situation for him to open up, and I loved watching him emotionally evolve.

Tessa Bailey’s golf novel might be my favorite of hers. Yeah, I’m surprised too. Would be a perfect swoony, steamy Valentine’s read.

This book had me smiling and cheering on Josephine as she fought to live her life on her terms managing her type 1 diabetes and the challenges life throws at her. Add in a male main character like Wells, attractive, grumpy, but with a hidden softer side and it is a book that I read in one sitting and wanted more of. Plus there is spice! I was reading it on a plane and was angling my Kindle so the person next to me could not read it over my shoulder.

Wells Whitaker has gone from the rising star on the golf circuit to the bad boy. Everyone has given up on him except for his fangirl, Josephine. Josephine believes in him when no one else does but even she has doubts when he quits golf. But when Wells decides on a comeback with her as his caddy can Josephine believe in him again? As they spend more and more time together they discover things they never thought possible about themselves and each other. But their dreams are different, can they figure out how to make it work together?

Down, sure. But never out.

I was curious how Fangirl Down would play out. Trust me, it was a birdie. An eagle. A hole in one. A love letter to golf wrapped up in all the feels. Josephine is Well's Belle. His number one, true fan for the past five years. She shows up. Always. Until Wells Whitaker hits his lowest, drunken point and pushes his last person away the same day his caddy quits and he quits golf. He crawled in a bottle and stayed there until a hurricane forces him to seek out the ever optimistic, redheaded Josephine. She's down, too, but not out. Wells is definitely down. He's a hot mess of low self esteem, self hate and doubt and abandoment issues. Don't forget alcoholism.

Tessa Bailey deftly handles golf, steamy times, redemption and touring together. These two like golf and each other.
Recommend.

Oh my goodness - I love Tessa Bailey more and more with each book. This one has so many things going for it: sports-themed, chronically ill but strong and capable heroine, whipped bad boy. Do I love the language used in the books, no (both gratuitous swearing and the use of several euphemisms for genitalia).
But I. Am. Here. For. The. Story. And. Characters!

Wow, wow, wow! Tessa Bailey is always one of my favorites but Fangirl Down might be her best yet. I was smiling like a fool sitting in the airport and plane listening to this one while flying home last week. A down-on-his-luck grumpy golfer and his fangirl-turned-caddie? Sign. Me. Up. Sweet? Check. Spicy? Check? SO funny? Check.

I went back & forth between ebook and audiobook and loved both. Callie Dalton was an absolute star narrating this hilarious and heartfelt story. The type 1 diabetes rep was done really, really well and I appreciated how much thought and care Tessa put into that.
I received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

My goodness Tessa has done it again!! I absolutely freaking loved this book and am stoked it's part of a series because I can't wait to jump back in with the next one. I am not now nor will I probably ever be a golf fan BUT this book made me want to😂 Honestly if there's a Wells Whitaker in the golfing world right now with a cute love story going on I'd probably watch but only for that! This is such a sweet funny romance but don't let that fool you because there's definitely spice! It's a grumpy x sunshine story (my favorite) and we love a leading man who is obsessed with the leading lady whether he wants to be or not. I loved Wells calling Josephine "Belle" based on her own fangirl sign, it just felt like such an immediate intimate connection to not only refer to someone by a nickname but by one that literally means beautiful?? Come on. I ate it right up.

I love that Tessa didn't just write Josephine as an obsessed fangirl who just watches the sport for Wells. I've seen that before and don't love the way those women are portrayed. But here our girl is a golf fan, born and raised; golf is literally her job and practically whole life. She's not just emotional support for our favorite grumpy washed up golf star but can also help him improve his technique and give good advice. Wells is Wells: grumpy, possessive, determined - even if that meant determined to throw his career out the window at the beginning - and a softy at heart just looking for someone to stay. Josephine is a sweet, sassy woman with big dreams who just really loves golf and when she believes in someone/something she is relentless. The representation of mental health issues and chronic illness in our two main characters was also a plus -- it made them more relatable and realistic as people.

This opposites attract, forced proximity, grumpy x sunshine perfection of a book is just such a fun read that left me feeling all the good feels. I recommend it to all the romance lovers out there and if you love golf then you have to read it because really how many good golf romance books are out there?? Out 2/13/24 so run, don't walk to the nearest book store or library if you haven't already pre-ordered this one!

I read and reviewed an advanced digital copy of this book from Avon via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for this ARC!

Even though it was sent three days before the release date, I managed to get it done lol.

This is a very on-brand Tessa book but I'm afraid I'm outgrowing her writing style. Wells was your typical grump and Josephine was his ray of sunshine, his number one fan. I think the book had some fun parts in it and I appreciated seeing a FMC with diabetes and how her daily life is managed with it. They had cute banter but I don't know...I wasn't too sold on their chemistry. It felt a little too co-dependent even though they "separated" in the end to "grow" out of that. It's a little hard of a pill to swallow when they break up in a chapter then three chapters later he's proposing.

Overall, it wasn't a bad read but I wasn't too impressed by anything. Some ideas are best left as ideas but I'll give Tessa credit that she tried to make golf hot but eh. This book would've been a three-star for me but I can't forgive Tessa for the jumpscare that was chapter 26. I was not prepared for it and I wish I could wash my eyeballs. It may be people's cup of tea but it was not mine LOL.

Wells Whitaker was golf's golden boy, but lately he spends more time drunk than making the PGA tour. He's now down to only one fan at every tournament, Josephine Doyle who likes to refer to herself as Wells's Belle. The beautiful, happy redhead is on the sideline cheering him on. After one horrible outing, Wells decides to quit golfing completely during a tournament and just walks away. Josephine tries to convince him to stay but he just keeps on walking.

When Wells realizes a hurricane hit the area of Florida that Josephine is from, he feels guilty for the way he treated her and decides to go see if she and her pro golf shop, The Golden Tee is alright. Wells walks into what was left of pro shop and finds Josephine there crying. He quickly realizes that she is in a quandary and also realizes that he wants to help her. She won't take the cash he offers, but she does agree to be his caddie if he can get back on the tour.

The crazy things these two go through while on the tour is so fun. The more time they spend together, the more they start to see each other in a different light and before they know it they have crossed that line. Just when it looks like both of their lives are falling into place, everything gets rearranged and Wells loses his caddie because they both have things they have to prove. Once all the dust settles, Josephine and Wells will finally find their happy ending.

I freaking LOVED this story! Who knew a sunshine/grumpy golf story would be so fun! I just adored Wells. He was the perfect grump to Josephine's perfect sunshine. I loved how they kept surprising each other. Overall this story was perfect and I can't wait for Tallulah's story!

A sports romance…about golf… I’ll admit, I was skeptical, but if anyone can pull this off, it’s Tessa Bailey, and BOY did she!

This book was hilarious and I found myself laughing throughout the entire story. Don’t get me wrong, there were heavier topics at play too, but they were handled with care and with characters who were both struggling for their own reasons. And yet… they both balanced each other in a beautiful way.

I also really didn’t expect to like Wells after his behavior in the beginning, but yet again, Tessa manages to show us how people have reasons for the way they act, if we just give them a chance to explain.

If you’re looking for a fun romcom filled with games of golf that might just make you a fan (at least in the fictional world), this is the perfect one for you.

Tropes:
- Sports romance: golf
- Celebrity/fangirl
- Boss/employee
- Fling to forever
- Forced proximity
- Grumpy/sunshine

I never knew I needed a golf romance in my life but this book showed me that I really did. Such a cute read, loved the characters and their development throughout the book. I always love Tessa Bailey books, but the sports romance really gave me everything I needed. I thought the idea of a number one fan ending up with her idol could get weird, but I love how it was handled in this book - it ended up being so so cute!!

Josephine is a dedicated fan of a fading golf star and she’ll always support the grumpy Wells Whitaker, as long as he’s still showing up at tournaments.
When disaster strikes at Josephine’s beloved pro shop, Wells shows up with an offer she can’t refuse-caddie for Wells.
With Josephine’s wisdom, golf expertise, and friendship, Wells game turns around, as well as his life.

I really enjoyed this story! The grumpy-sunshine dynamic was enjoyable and it was a sweet love story, with plenty of spice. I enjoyed watching Wells grow, not only in his golf game, but his life too. I had a hard time putting this book down!

I will be posting this review to my Instagram as well. @theexhaustedbookworm

I’m convinced that it’s impossible for Tessa to write a bad book, and I am LOVING her sports romance kick!

I never thought I would be giving a golf romance book five stars, but that's exactly what i'm doing right now. Tessa Bailey's new sports series had me giggling and kicking my feet. It had me laughing out loud and blushing profusely, but I loved every single second of it. I am not a golfer. I didn't think I could appreciate it to make it enjoyable but I was even invested in the outcome how Wells Whitaker did in the tournaments. It was sexy, spicy, and left me wanting more!

Tessa did a great job with the grumpy golfer and the enthusiastic fan/turned caddie. Normally, I have a hard time with grumpy/sunshine trope, but Wells and Josephine were done so well! The forced proximity and opposites-attract tropes were great too. It made the tension and the banter between the characters palpable and popped off the pages. The tension was evident almost from the start!

Wells Whitaker has lost his edge and his swing. He is losing his place on the tour and all his sponsors. He has one fan left, but she is his #1 Fan! After tragedy hits and a flood ruins her family business, he decides to take her on as his caddie so that he can provide her with the money she needs to restore her business and her health.

I absolutely loved this book! It was adorable and I can't wait to read the next one in the series where we will meet her best friend Tallulah, who has been in Antartica.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager/Avon for sharing the advanced reader copy with me for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

Sports romance
Grumpy x sunshine
Diabetes rep

A fun + easy read by Tessa!
The spice and banter was great as always!

What I love about tessa is she knows how to write those grumpy MMCs and it hits every single time!

I laughed a lot and overall did enjoy this book and these characters. I loved Wells & Belle’s connection from the beginning and how taken away Wells was by her 🥰 but after they *finally* get together it seems that’s all that happened for a bit and left me feeling a little bored with the story and a bit checked out.

That epilogue was worth it all, loved it so much 🥹

I’m really looking forward to the hockey single dad x nanny book to come later this year!!!

Thank you so much NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.