I was going to write an “Everything I read in July” post, but as of July 29th, the only book I’ve finished this month is The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey. So here is an overshare of my complicated history with Tessa Bailey’s books.
If you don’t read her romance novels, this may be a skim/skip article (is that what we call these?) for you. But if you’re at all familiar with her work, I’ve found many people share these opinions. [Papouli, you can go ahead and skip to the hyperfixation du jour]
a quick 411 if you are unfamiliar with Tessa Bailey:
New York Times Bestselling author Tessa Bailey can solve all problems except for her own, so she focuses those efforts on stubborn, fictional blue collar men and loyal, lovable heroines. She lives on Long Island avoiding the sun and social interactions, then wonders why no one has called. Dubbed the “Michelangelo of dirty talk,” by Entertainment Weekly, Tessa writes with spice, spirit, swoon and a guaranteed happily ever after. Catch her on TikTok at @authortessabailey, on Instagram at @tessabaileyisanauthor or check out tessabailey.com for a complete list of books.
@bck.reads was fortunate enough to receive an advanced e-reader copy of Tessa Bailey’s latest rom com, and I loved it!
I have a complicated history with Tessa Bailey’s work.
I was late to the game with It Happened One Summer and Hook Line & Sinker, but I read them and LOVED them in 2022. IHOS was unputdownable for me and made me genuinely laugh out loud. It’s one that was super hyped on book-tok at the time, but I believe lived up to the hype. The MMC (male main character) was a walking red flag to me, but it was a fun read. Then in HL&S, I loved Fox (the MMC) and respected the relationship so much more, even if it wasn’t as fun of a read. (Give me friends-to-lovers and forced proximity any day.)
[@bck.reads’s first reel was a “5 Star Friday” featuring It Happened One Summer]
Then I was so excited to be a part of the hype (and Tessa Bailey is one of the most fun authors to follow on social media), I pre-ordered her self-published, reverse harem (RH) Happenstance. I should have known that when a New York Times best selling author has to self-publish, it’s not a great sign. It was my first RH, and it was sooooo bad. The “meet-cute” is when they get trapped on the tram from Roosevelt Island. Anyway… figuring that was a one-off issue, I tried her Hot & Hammered series, and DON’T GET ME STARTED. I gave Fix Her Up 1 star on goodreads… Do I need to elaborate?
So by the spring of 2023 I decided that Tessa Bailey wasn’t for me, and that’s okay! I have lots of friends who get great joy from her books, and I didn’t want to yuck their yum anymore. I made peace with The Bellinger Sisters duology being my personal one-hit-wonder from the best-selling author. It also had the bonus of being inspired by one of my favorite fictional characters, Alexis Rose from Schitt’s Creek.
ENTER: Fangirl Down
For YEARS I have been “campaigning” for a golf romance. By campaigning, I mean I just wish for it on @bck.reads’s story every time I golf with my dad. So when Tessa announced her new golf romance, I realized I’d live to read another Tessa Bailey after-all.
I started the caddy-pro love story with very low expectations and was blown away! It had the unputdownable, giggle, squeal, kick my legs zest of It Happened One Summer. I binged it. It was very similar to of course Wells had all the big “alpha” characteristics typical of Tessa Bailey’s heroes, but for the first time the overprotective red flags were paired with unexpected emotional intelligence and thoughtfulness. (Brennan’s protective and possessive maneuvers in It Happened One Summer felt like the precursors of abuse, whereas Wells and Burgess (the heroes of Fangirl Down and The Au Pair Affair respectively) just seem unbelievably obsessed.
The man across from me on a flight said to me after landing, “That book must be good because you were smiling the whole flight!” I just smiled nervously thinking please don’t ask me what it’s about please don’t ask me what it’s about. (It was the return flight of a trip where on the way down I had purchased the book at the airport.)
So of course I was excited to read The Au Pair Affair! Belinda, Casey, and I were each going to read it and do a joint post for once, but of course I didn’t get it finished in time. I am in a bit of a rut.
I really enjoyed reading this book even if it wasn’t as unputdownable as her other books I loved. It may not have been as "binge-able" as Fangirl Down, but it certainly had a similar giddy feeling!
The final act is when the story fell apart for me, but as it was an unedited arc, maybe that was all tidied up before publishing. I think the back and forth of “will they won’t they” and insistent internal monologues was infuriating. But I still love them together so it is what it is.
I would recommend
this book if you're looking for a 0-100, steamy, hockey/nanny/age gap/forced proximity/opposites attract/boy obsessed/he falls first romance set in Boston!
Every book I’ve read by Tessa Bailey:
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Hyperfixation-du-jour: Meli
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In the market for another FREE library card on Libby? Check out the Queer Liberation Library! Everyone in the US is eligible; it’s how I’ve listened to several great audiobooks.