#Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

[haleyfury]

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey Review

Summary (from the publisher):Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his…

[llstarcasterll]

Endpage art I made for Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey!

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[nalit-source]

Fangirl Down (Big Shots Series) by Tessa Bailey

"I had no idea what unconditional love looked like until you, Josephine. You taught me how to be like this, and I will love you whether or not you're helping me win some fucking game. We are bigger than a game."

[jessread-s]

*Thanks to Tessa Bailey for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

✩⛳️🛁Review:

Consider me Wellsophine’s biggest fan!

“Fangirl Down” follows Wells Whitaker, golf’s resident bad boy, as he bids adieu to his once “promising” career. Enter Josephine Doyle, Wells’ number one fangirl and the one person he doesn’t want to disappoint. Determined to undo the greatest mistake of his life, Wells shows up at her door proposing that she be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split his winnings. Before long their feelings begin to grow alongside their success.

This may very well be my favorite Tessa Bailey series! In the acknowledgements, Bailey reveals that her daughter shares the same Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis as Josephine, which makes this book extra special in my eyes. I love how she emphasizes that Josephine is so much more than her condition through her love story with Wells. As they travel together and grow closer, he makes her feel capable and healthy without being overbearing. She truly felt safe with him and those feelings are reciprocated by Wells when he begins to open up and shed the grumpy persona he presents to the public.

Wells and Josephine’s relationship is so well-developed, building off their past interactions at golf tournaments. Bailey also does a fantastic job creating romantic tension through their mutual pinning and boss-employee relationship. I just adored their dynamic as couple. Nothing made me smile more than Josephine’s sunshine personality wearing down his growly exterior until the sweet, thoughtful guy underneath reveals himself. 

Like her other books, “Fangirl Down” is dual pov, so the reader gets to see how Wells and Josephine’s feelings for each other change and develop from fangirl and athlete to something more. Both perspectives were equally compelling to read from because their starkly different personalities made switching back and forth so entertaining!

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[bookishbethanyerin]

• arc review: fangirl down •

As a fervent fangirl, I will admit that I was nervous about this book, where a golf fangirl gets the opportunity to be her favorite player’s caddie.

I was worried that it would lean into the cartoonishly delusional extremes that fangirls are so often (and usually wrongly) associated with. That even though Tessa Bailey was at this book’s helm, it would be at best cringey and at worst deeply insulting.

But y’all – any concern I had evaporated by Chapter Two.

Though Josephine is a true fangirl – devoted to Wells Whitaker, the bad boy of the pro golf world who is in a downward spiral – she’s never solely defined by just that. And Tessa does an incredible job of not just capturing, but balancing, the reality of being a fangirl of an athlete. Sure, Josephine will admit she thinks Wells is hot, but that isn’t the reason she loyally supports him – she’s a golf expert who loves how he plays and what he brings to the game.

And Wells is a self-sabotaging mess who will take every thought you might have of a preppy, fratty, pro golfer MMC and light it on fire. He is grumpy and brooding and mouthy and really funny and such a fangirl defender and he falls so hard and so fast, and omg, you’ll love him.

With “Fangirl Down,” Tessa delivers a classic sports comeback story in a (very, very steamy!!) romance book package that is cute and clever and sexy and so, so satisfying.

Tropes to expect:

⛅️grumpy x sunshine

🥰he falls first

🌶️spicy bets

🖤touch her and 😵

😈morality chain

If you follow golf or have learned about it through osmosis (like me!), there is a moment in the third act that will have you going, “absolutely no one in the golf world would do this,” but, I mean, it’s fiction, so I didn’t stay too hung up on it.

All in all, I really loved this – in fact, it may be my favorite thing I’ve read from Tessa Bailey. (Yes, really!) And to think, I went in worried!

4.75🌟

3🌶️

⛳️An enormous thank you to Avon Books for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy! Fangirl Down will be out February 13th!💕

[haveyoureadthispoll]

Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life.  Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash…  As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous… right? 

[johnnyricks]

Ding ding ding!

Fangirl Down absolutely shocked me with how good it was. Turns out a silly romance novel about golf can have good characters, funny dialogues, a plot that makes sense and downright filthy smut. Inspiring. Tessa Bailey truly wrote a masterpiece of golf romance genre.

Enthusiastic 4/5

[fandomcen]

[myloveforhergoeson]

ash's february 2024 reading round up

find all the books and fics i read (or didn't) this month under the cut with a link to the synopsis and my reviews/ratings attached :)

this is just for fun! i'm not a professional, i just like to read <3

book list!

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey (18+)

• review: as per my last post, i'm a huge tessa bailey fan but i would be lying if i said i picked up this book to read because i was interested in the story. i only picked it up because the second novel in this pair is about a hockey player - i am just a simple girl with simple taste. that being said, i wasn't expecting a book centered around golf to actually be fun and even a little sexy... what happens when a once on top of the world golf superstar falls from grace and scares off his last remaining fan girl? a hurricane apparently... that wipes out her family's golf proshop... and she doesn't have the money to fix it. so, in order to save face and try and keep around the one person in the world who still believes in him, Wells hires Josephine to caddy for him on his next professional tour. admittedly, i didn't like Wells at all until the last 20 pages and the epilogue. he was rude, selfish, and downright mean to everyone - including josephine. while that's not a trait i care for, i respect that it's certainly one the fmc loves. i really loved josephine; she was such a well rounded character. her struggles reflected what its like to be young and running a business - having to choose whether to pay medical bills or insurance for the store, constantly having to make sacrifices for the things you care about. then, caddying for wells, an inspiration for women in male dominated fields! i learned a lot about golf, passion, and aspiraition, as well as how two people can be so different but so right for each other regardless. wells certainly loves joesphine, and i do too! his control issues were off putting however. and i also loved that josephine didn't have to give up her dream of running the proshop to be with wells! epilogue made me cry and i cannot wait for the hockey companion novel...

• rating: 4/5 times i learned playing golf makes you a shit ton of money

and... that's it for this month. didn't finish any fics unfortunately but i'm in the middle of a few good ones! i'm currently reading masters of death by olivie blake and do your worst by rosie danan so be on the look out for those in (hopefully) next months list :)

[headkiss]

reading tessa bailey’s new book and WHEWWWWW

[dargeereads]

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

 5 stars

audiobook

Grumpy Sunshine done right! These two, wow, the difference in them from the start of their story until the end, amazing. How they grow, for the better, not because of the other, but because of how they see things. The chemistry, and heat, wow, they sizzle when together, it’s a wonder they don’t electrocute everyone around them. Loads of fun and banter, fast-paced, and some truly tender moments, loved every second 😊

[corneliaavenue]

2024 reads

If We Were Villians by M L Rio (1/2) 4.25/5

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (1/4) 4.25/5

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (1/4) 5/5

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas (1/7) 4.75/5

Educated by Tara Westover (1/8) 5/5

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco (1/14) 2.75/5

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (1/14) 4/5

Heir of Fire by SJM (1/18) 4.5/5

What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo (1/19) 3.75/5

The Assassin's Blade by SJM (1/22) 3/5

Queen of Shadows by SJM (1/26) 4.75/5

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh (2/6) 2/5

Empire of Stroms by SJM (2/10) 4.5/5

Tower of Dawn by SJM (2/10) 3.75/5

Babel by R. F. Kuang (2/23) 4.5/5

Kingdom of Ash by SJM (2/25) 5/5

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (2/28) 4/5

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston (3/3) 5/5

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey (3/3) 3.75/5

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (3/4) 4.5/5

My Fault by Mercedes Ron (3/6) 1.5/5

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (3/19) 4.5/5

The Briar Book of the Dead by A.G. Slatter (3/21) 3/5

Check & Mate by Ali HAzelwood (3/23) 2.75/5

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

EVERY WEEK I WILL POST VARIOUS REVIEWS I’VE WRITTEN SO FAR IN 2024. YOU CAN CHECK OUT MY GOODREADS FOR MORE UP-TO-DATE REVIEWS HERE.

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76. Legacy by Nora Roberts--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There's truly something magical about reading a Nora Roberts novel--they're fun, sometimes simple, and a great way to pass the time. I'm starting to notice the formula to her romantic suspense novels, but you know what? I will devour them every time.

LEGACY was a good read with some sweet characters and a really creepy serial killer stalking women and hunting them. This is one thing I think Roberts is a little too good at--creating those creepy evil people stalking and threatening to kill the MC.

I loved the dogs in this and how everything came together at the end. I'm glad I was able to give this one a shot!

Will hopefully read more of her books in March!

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77. Love Me Today by A.L. Jackson--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I started LOVE ME TODAY because I have found myself craving more romantic suspense and this one fed that craving pretty well. It had the romance, the smut, the mysterious murderer haunting one of the MCs, and the incredibly adorable kid. Also, the single parent trope? Yes, please.

LOVE ME TODAY wasn't anything mind blowing, but it was such a satisfying read. The FMC was someone who wore her heart on her sleeve and was so pure (not in a gross way, just in a "I will love you no matter what" way), that her personality on the page felt very wholesome. She was a great foil for the MMC, who was the epitome of dark, broody, and jaded.

While I did enjoy their romance and their interactions with the tiny human, I thought the nickname the MMC had for the FMC could have been...better, or at least not repeated as much LOL. The spicy scenes were sometimes cringe because of the repetitive use of the nickname.

Really, really enjoyed the murderer reveal. Also, now I want to read the next one in the series because it's another trope I love.

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78. Villain and the Geek by L.C. Davis--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

That ending and the fact that the next one doesn't have a release date yet? Ahhhhh!

These are short, emotional, smutty, and addicting books. I devoured the first series near the end of the year last year and was thrilled to see that this one was coming out so soon after I finished book 1 in the sequel series. I want more! I want to get some answers and I want to see Constantine spoil the hell out of Devon because he deserves that.

I'm not going to lie, I love the whole emotional aspect of this book. It's like a punch to the heart to see how Constantine treats Devon, knowing it's going to bite him in the ass.

I need more and I'm sad the next book is supposedly the final instalment in their story.

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79. The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Incredible. Absolutely incredible.

I don't know what I was expecting from THE BOOK OF DOORS, but it wasn't the twisty way everything connected. Or the way the characters were written and grew so much with the story. Brown absolutely killed it with this book and I definitely want to keep an eye out for his next books now.

THE BOOK OF DOORS is a book about magic, yes, but also about love, family, friendships, and grief--the power of letting go and how sometimes, even if we have the power to change things, it's sometimes best to leave things as they are because of their impact on us. Brown's book had so much more depth than I was expecting and I'm here still recovering from it all.

The amount of times I was left with my mouth open because of a revelation, or a turn in the storyline? Phew.

I highly recommend this one, even if the friend of the FMC was annoying LOL. She grew, too, as a character, but man I wanted to slap some sense into her LOL.

Definitely add this to your TBR! You may or may not want to cry a couple of times, too.

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80. Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

FANGIRL DOWN is the first book I've read by Tessa Bailey in a long time and I have to say, I'm both surprised and impressed! I think this is going to be the perfect summer read for anyone looking for a light, quick, and sexy summer read.

The dynamic between the two characters worked fantastically and their communication level was *chef's kiss*. I also appreciated the inclusion of a main character with diabetes. Although I don't have diabetes myself, it was great seeing that representation in a romance novel.

The FMC was a badass, even if she was sometimes stubborn to the point of it being a bit frustrating. I loved how she handled the people around her in her new famous role. I extra loved that any simple issues surrounding that world didn't become any main issues in the book. I liked that Bailey focused on the couple and their growths as people.

I know nothing about golf, so it was interesting reading about a romance that featured it--it was strangely refreshing that it wasn't another hockey, or football romance.

I do recommend this one, if not for the great characters, then for the smutty good times.

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81. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'll admit that it took me a bit to get back into this universe with DEAD IN THE FAMILY. I think because a lot seemingly happened between the last book and this one. I'm sure there are short stories and novellas, but I didn't read them so jumping into this one was like jumping into a deep end I didn't even know was there.

But when I finally DID get back into this, I actually found myself really enjoying it. Sookie is growing super jaded as she gets older and I'm actually enjoying that because it's more realistic. There's a scene where a character comments that the Sookie from a year ago would drink something without a second thought and now she's all worried. I like this because Sookie has seem some Shit.

I also really liked this one because it dealt a lot with grief and familial connections. ALTHOUGH, this is also creepy af with some of the themes and one new character. That made me incredibly uncomfortable.

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Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts?

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Happy reading!

[jessread-s]

✩📦📚Book Mail:

Thank you Avon for sending me a finished copy of “Fangirl Down” and other Tessa Bailey goodies! “Fangirl Down” is my favorite release of 2024 and may very well be my favorite series written by Tessa Bailey. I haven’t been able to get Wells and Josephine off my mind since I last read the book and I hope they make a cameo in The Au Pair Affair—book two in the Big Shots series. I am SO excited to read Tallulah and Burgess' story when it hits shelves in July. I already love them based on their interactions in Fangirl Down. For now, consider me Wellsophine’s biggest fan!

The book at a glance:

⛳️ Bad boy golfer

⛳️ She’s his #1 fan

⛳️ Forced proximity

⛳️ Grumpy x sunshine

⛳️ Dual pov

Synopsis: “Fangirl Down” follows Wells Whitaker, golf’s resident bad boy, as he bids adieu to his once “promising” career. Enter Josephine Doyle, Wells’ number one fangirl and the one person he doesn’t want to disappoint. Determined to undo the greatest mistake of his life, Wells shows up at her door proposing that she be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split his winnings. Before long their feelings begin to grow alongside their success.

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[justallihere]

What book/books are you currently reading? Do you only prefer fantasy?

I’ve started 3 books in the past few weeks: Children of Fallen Gods by Carissa Broadbent (I didn’t love the first in the series and am struggling through the second); Destroy the Day by Brigid Kemmerer; and most recently Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey (my Libby hold is about to expire and I need something mindless, I think I’m going to hate it though lmao)

I don’t read exclusively fantasy but mostly! I’d say like 80% of what I read is fantasy/romantasy

[romanticfools]

super cheesy books. like, ultimate cliche, big grumpy man with girly girl. i just want to read the same thing over and over 😭

relatable fr

✰ means i particularly love the book

the catch by amy lea

fangirl down by tessa bailey

fix her up by tessa bailey (honestly, everything by tessa bailey)

georgie, all along by kate clayborn

codename charming by lucy parker