I absolutely loved this book! Once again Tessa Bailey has reminded me just how great she is at what she does! I am not a golf girl but this book made me want to go out and find my own grumpy golfer to be his caddie 😉 I have already started telling people to add this to their TBR's

Fan Girl by Tessa Bailey is like a sizzling round of golf on a hot summer day; it's steamy, blush-worthy, and will leave you cheering for more. Hot damn, I am not a fan of golf, but may need to be one now!

Wells, once an up and coming young golfer, has hit a rough patch in his career and finally calls it quits. His die-hard fan, Josephine, doesn't lose faith in him until he throws in the towel. A hurricane blows through Florida and Josephine's family golf shop is in ruins. She needs money and refuses to be a charity case. Wells, who can't get Josey out of his mind, comes up with a crazy idea... she can be his caddy and they can split the prize money. What starts as a professional arrangement turns into some risque betting with more than money on the line.

You know when you pick up a Tessa Bailey book, it will be steamy. You will find that here, along with taking risks, being vulnerable and having faith in yourself. This is a "hole-in-one" (sorry, had to!).

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. Look for this 2.13.24!

The Facts: sports romance, celebrity romance, type 1 diabetes rep, I hate everyone but you, grumpy vs sunshine

Overall synopsis: Grumpy Has Been, Wells needs a caddy for the golf tournament, and Josephine needs the money after her golf shop got destroyed.

Growing up, golf was just a boring sport that my dad went through a phase with and that my older brother still plays and watches (ugh, Timothy)

Tessa, how DARE you make me love golf. I can now probably maybe have a golf conversation with my brother now. Call me an official golf girlie. I’ll be your caddy and most likely give awful advice.

But seriously, this book is amazing. I feel BLESSED to have gotten to read this masterpiece early on.

Why is it a masterpiece?

In my personal and humble opinion, as a sports detester, it’s hard to make me like sports. Well, Tessa did it. SO THAT’S HOW.

But if you must need more info, (which trust me, you really don’t) here it goes:

Wells is Captain Moody Hawt Hottie, and Josephine is practically the definition of sunshine. Together, they create lovely sexual tension, wondrously witty banter, and hilarity. I seriously never wanted this book to end. In fact, when I turned to the page that said “Epilogue” I yelled NO.

HE WANTS EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT SHE’S IMPORTANT, AND HE WANTS HER TO BE SAFE, and while I know that that should be the bare minimum in EVERY relationship, WHEN IT COMES OUT OF WELLS’S MOUTH, IT MAKES ME SWOON. I DON’T MAKE THE RULES.

The swoony moments made me incoherently babble a lot because they made my heart squeeze. Reading every single moment between Wells and Josephine, even the sad ones, was an honor.

I hysterically sobbed for five minutes after finishing this book, and for those of you are new here, if it’s a really good romcom full of pure, raw, unfiltered love, I cry because I’m a sap.

I’m fearing that I’m rambling and that I’ll stop making sense soon (if I make any sense at all), so if you listen to a single thing I say this year, listen to this: read this book (but also love yourself and you can do anything you put your mind to; okay there are three things at least). This is a book that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Dramatic but truth.

Tessa Bailey has done it again. I will 100% read every book she puts out and 1000% enjoy it every time! This was right up my alley and I will 100% be hand selling this to all my romance readers at the bookstore!

An absolutely adorable story about a golfer and his number 1 fan, and I don't even like golf. Wells Whitaker was losing his game after 2 big seasons, but Josephine, his last big fan, had finally given up on him.
She had been his biggest cheerleader for 5 years, but he had lost confidence and finally just yelled at her to go away.
He was feeling sorry for himself drinking in Miami when he saw a story about how a hurricane had swept through Palm Beach Gardens where she lived. Her parents Tee shop was destroyed, and she had let the insurance lapse.
He wanted to help and offered her a position as his caddy so she could earn enough to fix her shop.
Wow, so far, I haven't made this sound very interesting, but Josephine is a fabulous character who has battled diabetes her whole life, and it has made her stronger. She is optimistic, witty, and very talented at golf. Wells falls for her hard, and the sex scenes are very hot.
Once they are a team, Wells starts winning, and they become very popular. There are some misunderstandings, but they finally come to realize they are better together than apart. Wells backstory is sad, and it explains his personality ,but love can really conquer all.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. This is my honest opinion. Read this book, you won't regret it. Plus, you will meet the couple who will star in the next book, a single father hockey player and a marine biologist. I'm already looking forward to it.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for this advance reader via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my my first Tessa Bailey novel. I always see her books and have never gotten around to them. One of my volunteers at the library actually just recommended me Hook, Line, and Sinker today while writing this.

This book was so fun to read! Tessa delivers on chemistry, spice, banter, and humor between our MC's. I am such a sucker for a grumpy sunshine romance. I just love watching the grumps turn out to be big teddy bears. The development of Wells and Josephine's relationship was done so well. I was constantly smiling reading this book.

And the setup for the next book's MCs with Tallulah and Burgess is just too cute. I cannot wait. I knew it had to be a possibility when I read that scene with them. Then I saw the stay tuned announcement at the end of the book and was so happy.

You don't have to be a fan of golf to love this book. I certainly am not.

Tessa Bailey is the queen of writing the grumpiest men falling for their sunshine girls. I love how her women bring their men to their knees. Not through manipulation of any sort, but purely by being who they are. It’s their authenticity that tears down those walls… wall after wall… after wall. Along the way, the sunshine girls’ walls come down too. Throw in lines that literally make you LOL and scenes that are so hot they set your book on fire and you’ve got the formula for quintessential Tessa Bailey. Fangirl Down is no exception. In fact, it’s a gleaming example of Ms. Bailey’s talents. Josephine and Wells might even be one of my most favorite couples ever. I smiled from the first page until the last.

Five stars. Highly recommend.

Fangirl Down
(Big Shots, #1)
Tessa Bailey
4.5⭐️

I am a sports romance loooover but who knew it included golf!? Tessa knew. Tessa knew exactly what I would want/need and she nailed it. A hole in one with her “horniest book ever”. 🤣

Fangirl Down was literally Bailey at her finest. Wells and Josephine were grumpy to sunshine perfection and seriously so much fun to read. Their banter had me cracking up, and their off the charts chemistry had me fanning myself. Bailey never skimps on the steam and damn do I love her for that. Who else do you know that can make golf sexy? Another unputdownable TB read I cannot wait for it to be out in the world!

What I loved;
⛳️ Sports Romance
⛳️ Grumpy/Sunshine
⛳️ Forced Proximity
⛳️ Diabetes Rep
⛳️ TB Dirty Talk

I am all in on this new series and The Au Pair Affair cannot come soon enough.

Pub Date: 2/13/24. Have this one teed up (pre-order now) and ready to go on pub day. Tessa Bailey fans are going to love this one.

A huge thank you NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Reader be warned, this book was spiccccyyy. Another hit from Tessa Bailey, which is no surprise. I loved both Josephine and Wells and their chemistry was intense. I'm not a lover of golf, but I loved the way that the game was incoporated into the story without feeling like it was too much. Overall, a great read.

Josephine and Wells are a riot! This book seriously is a reminder of why I love Tessa Baileys writing so much! I laughed so hard through the book but of course she adds a dash of seriousness that has your heart clenching!

Josephine is everything light and love! She’s a ray of sunshine in the dark and Wells is her opposite in every way! Wells is dark broody and Mr. I don’t need anyone! When these two have to find a compromise Wells finds himself in Josephine’s orbit and no matter how hard he tries she find a way through his walls!

This book is reminiscent of The Legend of Bagger Vance to me but with a twist! Josephine remind Wells of his love of the game and her unyielding faith in Wells shows him that there is another way in life!

I couldn’t put this book down and read in one sitting! It’s a book that reminds you how love heals! Love on the form of true friendship and found family! It’s also a reminder to have faith in yourself and to push through and fight for what you want!

This book was so adorable and one of my favorite Tessa Bailey books! I loved the golf and fangirl aspect and I was smiling the whole time reading this! 5-stars!

I ended up enjoying this novel so much that I'm still thinking about it days later....and I honestly didn't expect that at all. As a matter of fact, at the very beginning of this novel, I wasn't sure how I felt about these characters. Josephine seemed too fangirl-y and Wells seemed too cantankerous, but once I actually spent some time with these two, I found them to be fun to get to know and read.

Josephine almost seems too good to be true--she's loyal and kind and wise...as maybe a smidge stubborn. She's self-aware and also aware of what she's walking into when she agrees to work with Wells. Wells, while definitely cantankerous, is actually a huge softie when given the chance to be. He's got some serious trust issues but once he feels the full force of Josephine (and her family), he comes to know and understand what it feels like to be treated with respect and love, which causes him to be less of an asshat and more of the good guy he really is.

The banter, the chemistry, the backstory, and the love story all captured my attention, gave me the giggles, and had me missing these two when it was all over--if that's not the sign of a good read, I don't know what is.

Fangirl Down is hands-down, without a doubt, by a MILE my new favorite Tessa Bailey novel and a new all-time favorite romance. This book might come in as my favorite book of the year with only three days to spare, and I am so excited for readers to have the chance to experience Wells and Josephine's story in 2024.

This story follows Josephine, pro-golfer Wells Whitaker's #1 fan. Josephine makes it her personal mission to cheer on Wells every time he is in Florida, despite him being in a rut with no chance of a comeback. When a hurricane hits Josephine's golf shop, she must find a way to repair the shop while paying for her insulin. Wells offers her a job as his caddie to help her raise the funds, and the two of them must navigate the golf course while navigating their feelings for each other.

The chemistry between these characters is absolutely undeniable. I was giggling and screaming the entire time. And not a chill, "oh this is cute" giggle- I was kicking my feet and jumping on my bed because I could not wait for these two characters to get together. To prove this even further- I am not an avid highlighter of my books, but I have so many quotes and pages bookmarked to my kindle. There are just so many moments and sweet conversations in this book that I wanted to remember, I couldn't help myself. I will say there were a few moments that I found more cringe-worthy. The first chapter had me a bit nervous due to the constant self-declaration of Josephine as a "fangirl", and it also had a few spicier scenes that were not all my favorite, but I think will find their own audience. I do also wish that Tessa Bailey would stray away from her typical alpha-male love interest, but I knew what I was getting into when picking up one of her books. I will say that Wells had a ton of depth to him and he was very caring towards Josephine, so I didn't mind his alpha-maleness as much. However, all of these aspects really were just minor details, and honestly... I am willing to overlook anything if it means Wells and Josephine get their HEA.

Fangirl Down is one of those books that not only remind me why I love to read romance, but why I love to read in general. Everyone say thank you Tessa Bailey!!!!! I cannot wait for book two in the series next year.

Fangirl Down; a story following well-known golf sad boy, Wells Whitaker, and number 1 Fangirl turned caddie, Josephine Doyle. A slow burn, semi-forbidden romance.

Even when Wells was being an ass, I didn’t really hate him. He just seemed like he was down on his luck and had low self confidence, which he took out on those around him. Josephine was really likable and, growing up as a total 1D fan girl (fan fictions and all), very relatable. I enjoyed their chemistry and loved their flirting and bickering.

Let me tell you, the spice was SPICY. I have never verbally responded out loud to something in a spicy romance…until:
"But if you don't lose your temper for the next two days and you finish under par…”
She raked her fingernails down his chest and over his nipples, making him jerk and shudder. "You can come inside me."
Like AHHHH 🤣

The ending was so sweet and I enjoyed the ENTIRE story!

•Honorable mention: chapter 22 🫡
•Fav quotes:
“You and me not being together all the time is fucking stupid, Josephine.”
“Don’t say “panties” and “pope” in the same sentence. We’re going to get struck by lightening out there.”
“Enjoy watching me go. You earned it.”

THANK YOU Tessa Bailey, publisher, and NetGalley for an early copy of Fangirl Down in exchange for an honest review!

Eye— I wasn’t expecting what I got. Which is not a bad thing AT ALL. The book was very enjoyable. We have the grumpy meets sunshine trope, and a lot more spice than what I was expecting. Saying that, I loved how the romance unfolded, it’s definitely fast paced I finished the book in about 4 hours. Basically sexC golfer manz falls for his #1 fan who ends up workin for him.

Tessa Bailey is back at it with this super fun, flirty, spicy sports romance! I absolutely adored the chemistry and banter in this one.

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for the copy.

Oh boy, Tessa Bailey's new sports series is a love song to my brooding soul, making me appreciate a sport I was less interested in—she even managed to make golf enjoyable! But most importantly, it made me giggle like a schoolgirl every time I read the endearing interactions between Wells and his "Belle" Josephine. This saucy, sexy, steamy love story left me feeling incredibly good!

The high chemistry, palpable attraction, verbal connection, and intimacy were perfect! Tessa Bailey couldn't have written the grumpy-meets-the-sunshine trope better than this. The opposites-attract, love-at-the-workplace, forced-proximity tropes are also blended seamlessly into their adorable love story.

Wells Whitaker, a struggling golf star slowly losing his rising position, abandoned by sponsors, his agent, and his fans, finds solace in the beautiful, sunny redhead always positioned on the sidelines, carrying the "Wells's Belle" sign and adamant about not leaving him alone. Josephine Doyle may be the only person who truly believes in him. But one day, he lets her go, and as soon as the words leave his mouth, he realizes he made a big mistake. Following her in the midst of a disaster where a flood ruins her family business and she didn't pay for insurance due to spending the money on urgent medical issues (she suffers from type 1 diabetes, and you can guess how much insulin injections cost).

For the first time in his life, Wells learns to be selfless and makes her an offer to become his caddie to return to the tournament. Wells can get the moral support he needs, focusing on a second chance, while Josephine can save enough money for the repair costs of their family store. They can both benefit from this arrangement. But what if this isn't the only benefit they can get when sparks keep flying, and each second it becomes harder to keep their hands off each other?

Wells seems like a brooding man inclined to self-sabotage, but what if he is only looking for one person who truly believes in him, which could be a game-changer? What if he's hiding a big, caring heart under his rough facade? As soon as Josephine sees his true self, she knows she's doomed. What will she do when their arrangement finalizes? Can she say her goodbyes, even though she's falling for him just as hard as he's falling for her?

I loved this book! I'm also eagerly looking forward to reading the second book in the "Big Shots" series, where we've already been introduced to best friend Tallulah and hot daddy Burgess. I'm already intrigued. I think this series is my new addiction!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager/Avon for sharing this amazing book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

TESSAAAAA! How did you get me to care about golf?
Tessa Bailey is one of my favorite romance authors, which is such a blessing because she pumps books out like no other. 4 books in 2023 is crazy but I amend you.

As unrealistic as these books are, as removed from reality as any plot point may be, I ALWAYS have a rocking good time reading her books. Like legitimately kicking my feet and giggling like a madwoman.

Wells and Josephine really got me. Tessa loves to write two-way insta-lust, which gives way to serious flirting and then serious--you know!!!

I am so excited for the next book in the series and will be first in line to read it.

YES! Another un-putable-down rom-com by Tessa Bailey. Rated a big 5 Stars and can't wait for the sequel (please make it available soon NetGalley!) This new series is a sports romance and the characters are charming and so fun. Josephine is golf-pro Wells Whitaker's number one fan. He has given up on himself and she refuses to let it happen. They strike up a deal that will benefit them both - it's funny, sexy (woah the dirty talk!) and so much fun. Might possibly be my new favorite.

classic tessa bailey. quality is really closer to a 3.5, but i enjoyed the read overall so i bumped it up. something i love about bailey is that she does a great job of balancing plot with spice! a regular amount of cringe, and i found myself skimming some parts in the back half, but good nonetheless.

#netgalley