Everything I have come to expect from Tessa Bailey and MORE!! Grumpy, downright rude, HOT professional golfer meets his sunshine filled #1 fangirl. The chemistry between Wells and Josephine is undeniable and can only be denied for so long. The banter back forth was amazing. They could give as good as they got. There was so much in this book that had me laughing out loud.

Overall I liked the story but I did have some issues with it that other people have already mentioned (the insta-love, issues with boundaries, etc.) and I kept thinking the whole time that Josephine was not his therapist and that he really could have benefitted from one. The epilogue was a nice touch.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book focuses on the impact of diabetes on a relationship. I skimmed majority of the book. I used to be a big fan of her books and a number of her series are quite good. This book was just disappointing. I would say it read more like rough draft.



*******I received an ARC for NetGalley for my honest opinion.*****************

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of golf. I think I may change my mind after reading this book. It was a really good book. It was romantic and funny. I loved the relationship that Wells and Josephine had. The ending was great. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

Tessa Bailey has one of the most refreshing contemporary romance voices. This book had me giggling and kicking my feet. The flirting/bickering ratio was chef's kiss. Bailey entering the sports world has me excited for the next book. Bubble butts just might be my new kink! This book is the definition of she fell fist but he fell harder! Five stars and highly recommend!

Objectively, this is a great rom-com, albeit not my cup of tea. I love the diabetes rep here. Jospehine and Wells are just a little extra for my tastes. They’re outgoing, colorful personalities who are somewhat lacking in maturity, so not the main characters I usually gravitate towards. The tone is lightweight and humorous. I think a lot of readers will enjoy this book.

“But Josephine. Being around her again was like waking up after a lung transplant and remembering what it’s like to breathe.”

HOT. HOT. HOT.
There are NO words to describe what this book did to me. Tessa Bailey brings such fresh ideas to the romance genre (I mean, who would have thought a book about golf would get someone hot? 🥵) but she continues to up the ante and never disappoints!

Wells is the ultimate book boyfriend: grumpy, obsessed with his woman, and in need of a redemption. Josephine is headstrong and supportive, an absolute “boss babe.” These two together bring the absolute heat on every page!

This story brings sweet, spicy, and swoony all together for the most unforgettable sports romance of the year! Fangirl Down is absolute gem and is the most deserving of a 5-star rating.

I picked this book up without realizing the fangirling was for golf (how did I miss that?), and immediately I asked, "is fangirling for golf a thing?" and "do I want to read a romance featuring a golfer, tatted-up bad boy of game that he may be?" I'm glad I stuck with this because this was the best Tessa Bailey I've read in a while.

It may seem like insta-love for Josephine and Will, but by the time we see them having their first encounter, she's been his devoted fan for a while and he's instituting a fan/idol break-up because he wants to quit the tour and can't as long as she support him. The next time we see them three weeks later, he's been on a drinking binge and a hurricane has ravaged her family's golf pro store. He seeks her out post-storm to check on her, and upon learning she blew off flood insurance to pay for her insulin and rent, he offers her money. Rejecting that, she does agree to be his caddie if he can get back on the tour.

They have mad chemistry, and their building attraction as they first join the tour was hot. It's also clear that their feelings for each other are growing away from the initial fan/idol dynamic and into a romantic partnership based on trust and respect. She offers him flirtatious incentives to succeed where he'd been struggling on the greens. As her boss, Will won't initiate anything though he is dying to--but when Josephine does, he's all in.

Like most Tessa Bailey books, there's a near-constant stream of dirty talk once they start to hook up, plus several graphic sex scenes. If that's not your jam, this probably isn't the book for you. My only gripe here is that it seemed to become an either/or thing: once we hit the moment in the relationship where the sex begins, exploration of their developing feelings seems to stop. And when the sex ends due to an inevitable conflict, we are back into complex emotions territory.

This makes for a richer beginning and the ending, with a bit of a mid-novel lull in sex land. Not a bad place to lull, but would have loved to see how sex could be used to deepen emotions between them.

Anyway, I really liked the ending and even felt like their third-act conflict made sense. (Which is not always the case in romances where the author needs to break up characters but doesn't know why.) Will and Josephine are enormously enjoyable and an even pairing, and you can see them grow as individuals because of their growing love for one another.

Recommend this read to Tessa Bailey fans for sure, and for anyone who appreciates a redemption arc or thinks a disappointed-fan-to-romantic-partner storyline sounds good.

⛳️ athlete x #1 Fan
💚 grumpy x sunshine
⛳️ boss x employee
💚 hates everyone but her


Quotes: could change by pub date

“Her honesty was oxygen. But breathing it? That part was terrifying.”

“Your impenetrable darkness just comes naturally.” “Sort of like your brightness.”

“I won’t give up on you as long as you don’t give up on yourself again.”



Wells Whitaker was once the top golfer in the world but over the years he’s fallen so far that he only has one fan left. His #1 fan who just won’t leave and give up on him like everyone else has in his life.

Josephine Doyle is a golf pro especially since she grew up on a golf course and now runs her family’s pro shop. As Wells’ #1 fan, or Well’s Belle, she attends as many of his tournaments as possible but it’s usually the Florida ones because that’s where she lives. As his one and only fan left she has a sign with her nickname and is always cheering him on. She also won a contest (that she enters over 60 times) to have dinner and learn golf from him.

As Josephine and Wells get into an argument at the tournament he makes Josephine quit being his fan by quitting golf. He spends the next couple weeks drinking and doing absolutely nothing in Miami while her livelihood get demolished by a hurricane. Wells is nervous that she was hurt and shows up to her pro shop while she’s assessing the damage and finds out that she didn’t have any insurance because she messed up and let it expire. He of course wants to help her and make it up to her and offers her the job as his caddy to pay for the renovations.

During her time as his caddy they of course fall in love but not without some fights and secrets. They fall hard and fast for each other but when you know you know right?

Wells has issues with keeping a level head and being an absolute dickhead all the time. Wells only does good because of Josephine being there for him. The relationship is a secret but most people quickly caught on that they were more than just partners on the course.

Any winnings he made she earned her own by helping him get back to something he loved. They did a sponsorship so that she could make money to pay for the renovations.

I also really appreciate that Josephine has a medical condition of diabetes in the book. It was so great to see someone that others could relate to as the FMC. I don’t know much about diabetes but it was so sweet seeing how much Wells cared about her and making sure she was safe but not obsessing and being controlling over her with it.

The spicy scenes were so great. The locker room was hot. A little voyerism on a golf course. Like i was not expecting the shower scene and what went down. It. Was. Hot. I’m not into it personally but reading it was great. 💁🏽‍♀️😘

I want to thank Tessa Bailey & Avon and Harper Voyager for always accepting my requests for her books. I so enjoy reading them everytime! This is by far my favorite Tessa Bailey book and I am so excited for the second book. I love me some hockey romance.

I didn’t know “golf romance” was a thing I needed until I read Fangirl Down. Wells Whitaker is golf’s grumpy golden boy who has fallen from grace. Josephine Doyle is a walking ray of sunshine and Wells’s biggest fan. When Wells quits the PGA tour in a fit of rage (surprising no one), Josephine steps up and talks her way into being his caddy. Turns out, golf is kind of her thing. Basically her whole life. To avoid spoilers, we’ll just say [romance happens]. I really loved this book because I absolutely loathe the miscommunication trope. Tessa Bailey did us all a favor and gave us a couple who actually talk to each other. Not only that, but Josephine has Type 1 diabetes and isn’t made out to be a damsel that needs saving. She’s strong, capable, and a total badass all on her own. Fangirl Down gives us a grumpy sunshine HEA sports romance. What more can you possibly want?

There’s something about a new Tessa Bailey book that I cannot resist. After receiving an early copy of this, I jumped in immediately (never mind the other books I have sitting on my TBR shelf). Spoiler - I finished it the same day.

A highly enjoyable romance with serious topics, I laughed out loud at several points during my reading. I'm not one for sports romances (especially golf - nooo) usually but if TB writes it, I'm reading it and I did enjoy my reading of this a lot.

Josephine was an excellent MFC, one you're consistently rooting for. Wells was grumpy and surly and gave me heavy duty Roy Kent-but-golf vibes. While there is character evolution for both, it feels a bit false since, unfortunately, we never really learn that much about either character. Though irksome (to me) in such an otherwise fantastic story, the story is still completely readable and enjoyable; I finished reading this wanting more from it.

Lots of romance disguised in bicker/banter, lots of open door spice, and a nice intro to the second story. Lots of fun to read, in short, and I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this duology.

Recommended.



Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the DRC

Another good time fun book by Tessa Bailey!

Fangirl Down is the first in a new sports based series by Tessa and for once I can say I've never read a golf romance before! Josephine is the ultimate fangirl of once great golfer Wells Whitaker. Wells was a superstar his first couple of years on tour but he's lost his game and his grumpiness and overall don't give a shit attitude has put in him a huge slump. Josephine has always been there cheering him on through thick and thin until he finally manages to alienate even her. Of course he feels bad about it, he's always liked her but the only way to move on from the sport is to make sure there's no one to come back for. After a hurricane rocks Florida and Josephine's livelihood Wells frantically rushes to her aide and ends up offering her a job of caddying for him so she can earn enough money to put her life back on track. Things get sexy along the way and they struggle to let each other go when their goals are achieved.

This was really fast paced to me but still super fun. Wells was immediately all in on Josephine and I loved how he just wanted to do everything in his power to protect her and make her happy but was still sure to let her be her own strong self. Josephine is a mess when it comes to her responsibilities but she knows her stuff when it comes to the game of golf. I found her need to be strong and independent and her outlook on her diabetes really admirable. I like how even though she was a huge fan of Wells as an athlete she could also separate him from the regular man. Their spice was off the charts even if I had to side eye Tessa on the butt stuff (dyinggggg lol).

Overall it was a super cute romance that you can read fairly quickly and it's going to leave you in a great mood. I can't wait to read the next in the series after meeting the two characters in this book, should be another good time! Thank you so much to Avon and HarperVoyager for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

I am such a huge fan of Tess Bailey's books! Honestly, I think I have almost all of them, and I immensely enjoy listening to them on audiobook! They are similar to Sophie Kinsella books which I always love reading and listening to. Fangirl Down will definitely go on my 'waiting for the audiobook' list. It was super cute and fun, and I love when we have a gruff bear of a main male character who just melts when it comes to the female main character!

ngirl Down follows Wells Whitaker who once was golf's rising star but over the years he has not been playing well. He has lost most of his fans and sponsors expect one. Josephine Doyle has always been a fan of Wells and still roots for him. Wells thinks it is time to give up golf upsetting Josephine. Then one day Wells shows up at Josephine's door asking if she will caddy. She says yes because the prize money could really help her. Has they travel together and start spending more time together they end up falling for each other. Will they be able to fall in love and still win the prize money?

I do not know why I keep giving Tessa Bailey's books a chance. I used to LOVE her books but I feel like her writing quality has declined dramatically. This was just not good. It seemed like a sports romance written by someone who knows nothing about sports. When she did mention anything related to sports, it seemed very generic and basic. The relationship between the two characters felt so forced. I felt zero chemistry between them. Also, the main character has diabetes, and adding that element to the story seemed a little odd. It made the main character seem like she had a flaw when that was not the case. Instead, she should have focused on how badass the character was living with diabetes. The smutty parts were cringy and added nothing to the overall plot. I actually really enjoyed the first 50 pages of this book. But it just all went downhill from there. This is the last Tessa Bailey book I will ever read. I really am so disappointed in this book.

I don't think I've enjoyed a Tessa Bailey book this much since Hook, Line and Sinker?

Fangirl down was a really fun, faced-paced sports romance. Which is funny since it's GOLF. 😂 Who knew?! Not me.

I very much enjoyed Josephine's character. She has T1D, but she doesn't let it dictate her life. Not to mention her professional proficiency, as well. She's an inspiration, and a real badass.

And Wells... well, let's just say the last 70% most definitely made up for the first 30 😂 A+ character growth, and I loved to see it.

I can't wait for the next book in this series. It was teed up perfectly 😉

Thank you so much for the ARC, Avon!

Golf and sexy dont usually go hand in hand...but this one definitely was a hole in one! Great, quick romance with just a lot of humor and heart.

This was my first Tessa Bailey book and omg. I never thought gold could be so sexy! This was fun read. I can’t wait to read her next book.

update. can also be seen @drbooksreads via instagram

you have inspired me to want to take up golf! I will make it a point to at least go to top golf for a good time after reading this book. This book releases 2/13/24. Thank you to @harpercollins for the ARC.

🏑 Golf who would have thought it could be so cute and sexy. Make no mistake I'm not a golf fan but I like everyone turns on the tv during the masters. Every golfer wants that green jacket and this is a fact. The author gives the reader one washed up golfer's journey back to achieve just that. This was such a fun read. The main characters Wells and Josephine are so cute. The relationship is one of a true golf fan (die hard) and a self-sabotaging, very talented, washed-up golfer. Well good thing he got his head out his a** and started listening to his best coach and number one fan. Josephine has a love for wells game and apparently for him. she also is focused on her dream of growing her family business. it was fun to watch wells do a 180 in the story to win her affection. This again was a very fun light read. I loved the ending ❤️. I look forward to reading more form the author.

#tessabailey #fangirldown #romcom #golf #sports #romance #bookstagram #books #ilovebooks #read

Thank you netgalley, and to the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary review.

Where do I begin? Okay, well this is my favourite Bailey book to date. Take a broody borderline alcoholic and throw a relentless ray of sunshine his way, in the golfing world and bam. This book. It was funny, full of character growth and damn, the man is a secret cinnamon roll. Everything about this book was perfect.
I love the set up for the next book in the series too!
Bravo

Ooh, I love a good sports romance, and Fangirl Down is definitely up there! Tessa Bailey’s books are full of humor, passion, and self-discovery, so I can’t get enough of them. I’m SUPER excited for the next book in this series (The Au Pair Affair, coming summer 2024), and the sneak peek into that story was fun! Wells and Josephine still give me heart eyes, though. Definitely add this one to your TBR! 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Avon Books and Tessa Bailey for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This may be my new favorite Tessa Bailey book! Honestly it was just SO GOOD. Tessa Bailey romances are my go to when I want silly, smutty, and sweet all wrapped into one book. She always delivers hilarious hijinks with a super sweet romance and I can’t get enough. Fangirl Down did all of that and more! I am a huge sports romance fan, but I have to admit I never thought I would read and love a golf romance. However, this one provided all you want and more. Josephine was such a fun FMC. I loved the diabetes rep. She was strong and funny, but also fierce and loyal to her core. Wells was exactly what I have come to expect from a Tessa Bailey hero: gruff, grumpy, and delicious. I also loved that he fell first and he fell HARD. That man LOVED Josephine and reading his POVs while he came to realization of his feelings was so fun. Also, the communication in this book was so good (literally no miscommunication, and the 3rd act conflict was down very well in my opinion). The set up for book two was executed PERFECTLY and I am so ready for some single dad/hockey action. This book is a top read of the month for me and I seriously don’t think I can sing it’s praises enough. If you want easy, silly, swoony fun then this is your book!