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?
Release Date: Feb 13, 2024
Series: Big Shots
Book: 1
Heat Level: Hot
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Price: $11.99
A grumpy and sunshine rom-com that’s an ace in the hole.
There are all sorts of sports romances out there, but I never thought for two seconds I’d be reading one involving golf. Especially not one with golf fangirl’s. I mean, I never thought golf players had groupies, but Bailey proved me wrong. Add in the grump/sunshine trope and I was dialed in.
We have grump, Wells Whittaker, who used to be the up-and-coming golf hotshot and is no longer the golden boy. He’s been failing for a while. Sunshine is the incredibly optimistic, golf-infatuated, Josephine Doyle. Somewhere between the hole that Wells quits on and the crushed expression on Josephine’s face… plus a hurricane hit that wipes out Josephine’s golf pro shop, Wells gets a crazy idea. Josephine should be his new caddy, not give up on him, and help him get back to being good at what he loves.
Of course, there’s so many things that can wrong or right from here. A female caddy, while not unheard of, isn’t as common. Though I’m happy to say that female on the PGA tour is on the rise. Also, Wells is considered the bad boy of the tour. He’s got that Marshawn Lynch vibe when it comes to dealing with the press and interviews. What makes this whole book work though is Josephine’s interactions with Wells and the slow transformation that Wells has from being a selfish jerk to wanting to do everything for Josephine. He becomes this smitten, dedicated fool and out of that finds a new love for the game.
There are jokes, awkward situations, best friends that are definitely getting their own book, and plenty of steam. A Tessa Bailey book isn’t a Bailey book without plenty of scorching hot sex. This one continues to deliver on point. The story also touches on misogynistic elements in golf and showcases a good dynamic of a hero being protective and possessive yet still providing his lady love with agency. Getting to read these two falling for each other was a pleasure.
This book reminded me of the all the sports rom com movies I’ve loved over the years. Think The Cutting Edge or, if you want to go golf, Tin Cup. This easily gets the stars because I couldn’t walk away from the book and stayed up nearly all night to finish this one. I’ll be ready to read the second book featuring Josephine’s best friend and a hockey hero.
~ Landra
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