From the Publisher
"Come for the buzzy hockey romance trope, stay for the unique spins and swoon-worthy leading man that Bailey has become famous for crafting." — USA Today
“Tessa Bailey is the queen of rom-coms. Long may she reign!" — Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Merry Little Meet Cute
“Nothing makes my heart catch fire like a Tessa Bailey book. She is all things magic and dirty talk.” — Elena Armas, New York Times bestselling author of The Spanish Love Deception
“Tessa Bailey’s writing stands out in all the right sexy ways.” — Buzzfeed
“Bailey writes banter and rom-com scenarios with aplomb, but for those who like their romance on the spicier side, she’s also the Michelangelo of dirty talk. She wields filth like Da Vinci does a paintbrush, and there’s a lot to be said for an author who can fill such exchanges with all the requisite heat, enthusiastic consent, and yes, even humor, of such a scenario without veering into corny territory.” — Entertainment Weekly
“Vintage Bailey with heady notes of earthy sensuality and smoldering sexual chemistry neatly balanced by deliciously dry hints of sassy humor.” — Booklist on Unfortunately Yours
"Tessa Bailey writes pure magic! It Happened One Summer has everything you could want in a rom-com—heartwarming romance, laugh-out-loud humor, and scorching hot chemistry between the lovable socialite and sexy ship captain. I absolutely loved it!" — Alexis Daria, bestselling author of You Had Me at Hola
AUGUST 2024 - AudioFile
Narrator Callie Dalton brings the steam to the second Big Shots title. Tallulah accepts a live-in nanny job for Boston hockey star Burgess's daughter even though a traumatic past experience makes cohabitating difficult for her. The audio starts off a little stiffly, and Tallulah and Burgess are difficult to differentiate in conversation during the introductory chapters. Once Tallulah and Burgess start surrendering to their feelings, Dalton's strengths become apparent, and the audio is worth the listen. Her husky voice and comedic timing anchor the principals' bedroom attraction as she digs into the defense mechanisms that threaten to derail it. Burgess's daughter and Tallulah's friend, Chloe, have appropriately differentiated voices. Overall, Dalton creates an emotionally moving, sensual listening experience. C.A. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2024-05-17
A professional hockey player falls in love with his tween daughter’s nanny.
Burgess Abraham is 37 and can feel himself aging out of hockey—everything hurts. He refuses to let the team doctors know the extent of his pain, worried it will force him into early retirement. Complicating his life, he’s recently divorced and has shared custody of his daughter, Lissa. Burgess’ punishing travel schedule means he needs help at home, so he hires 26-year-old graduate student Tallulah Aydin to be his daughter’s nanny. Tallulah just moved to Boston for a graduate program in marine biology. She’s flat broke and landing this gig is a financial lifesaver, but she worries that her incendiary chemistry with Burgess will make it hard to keep things professional. Burgess’ feelings of protectiveness toward Tallulah are amplified after she tells him about a traumatic incident from her past. Her move to Boston showed her that she’s been letting fear rule her life, that she’s reluctant to trust people and afraid to live. Burgess offers to help Tallulah check items off her bucket list of adventures, promising to accompany her and keep her safe. In return, Burgess wants to be her boyfriend, not just a casual fling. Unfortunately, Lissa is convinced her parents will get back together and sees Tallulah as an interloper. Bailey fans will find all the classic hallmarks of her style: a plucky heroine matched with a possessive, dirty-talking hero in a high-heat romance. Although the novel engages with deeper themes, its exploration of these difficult topics feels simplistic and superficial. Huge problems are introduced late in the story and then fixed offstage, without readers seeing the work and effort involved.
Engaging characters with thorny problems have a pat, easy love story.
