If you love romance books, you’ll know it’s impossible to indulge in the genre without hearing the same big-hitter names pop up over and over. These are the kind of authors that transcend people’s preferred tropes and normal reading habits, and have everyone racing to Goodreads to rave. Authors like Emily Henry, Ali Hazelwood, Carley Fortune, and, of course, Tessa Bailey. Every one of your favorite booktubers, tokers, and grammers has, without a doubt, held up an Easter-egg-colored paperback with Tessa Bailey’s name plastered across it and told you to run to the nearest bookstore immediately. And when you get there, her books are usually pretty easy to find—right next to the entrance on the bestseller shelf. Tessa Bailey’s books are known for their impeccable spicy scenes and book boyfriends who have raised the bar for men everywhere. Her stories have struck a chord with women who crave a happily ever after, and that’s exactly what Tessa aims to deliver with her new novel.
This week, Tessa Bailey blessed romance fans with another book in her Big Shots series, Pitcher Perfect, and it’s an absolute home run. Before the release, I got to chat with Tessa about her new release, her reputation as the queen of spice, and what she really thinks when people call her stories unrealistic. Keep scrolling to find out what I learned.
Boston Bearcats rookie Robbie Corrigan is living the dream. He’s made it to the NHL and the women of Boston love him. That is, until he meets Skylar Paige, division 1 softball pitcher and the one member of the opposite sex immune to his charms. Robbie can’t seem to leave Skylar to flounder on her romantic quest to land another man. Nor can he miss out on the opportunity to spend time with her and hopefully redeem himself. Before Robbie knows it, he’s agreed to be Skylar’s fake boyfriend at an upcoming family wilderness competition where her crush will be in attendance. What could go wrong?
While it’s hard to imagine a world where Tessa Bailey isn’t living rent-free on your FYP, she didn’t really start to feel that virality until her novel It Happened One Summer went mega-viral. The book was how many adults reconnected with reading and fell in love with the romance genre. It found so many people at the perfect time—and it remains one of Tessa’s favorites she’s written. Plenty of people would have been happy to read the It Happened One Summer tropes over and over, but Tessa is committed to evolving with every novel. “There is a temptation to fall into [writing the same book over and over] because you’re like, people are liking this, this is exactly what they want, but they’re also going to get sick of it really fast,” she said. “It’s also going to be really unsatisfying for me as an author because I always want to be evolving. I always want to be trying new things and challenging myself, because when you get stagnant, it shows on the page.”
Since It Happened One Summer landed Tessa the title the queen of spice, her reputation has only grown. The way she crafts a smut scene is what I imagine it was like when Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet. Her books unapologetically center women’s wants, emotions, and desires, without a fade to black. While sexy scenes are a hallmark of a Tessa Bailey book, for her, they’re not just a fun way to spice up a story; they’re incredibly vulnerable moments between two characters. Ones that give her endless opportunities to develop them further. “I think there is definitely a place in a romance for gratuitous spice, I like as much as the next girl,” she said. “But, I do like to take it as an opportunity to further the emotional plot.” Finding that balance is a bit of a dance: you have to give the audience something, then take it back to move the story forward. “When that sex scene is over, like, you’re writing a different book now. The game has changed,” she said.
“When I hear someone say that [romance books are] unrealistic, I’m like, well, tell me you’ve never gone down on a woman without telling me you’ve never gone down on a woman”
We romance lovers know that a sex scene goes far beyond sex, but we’ve all heard the tired takes haters lob at the genre. Namely, that they’re completely unrealistic and lead women to have sky-high expectations. But when it comes to writing a realistic man, it’s not something Tessa is concerned with. “I’m writing the story for the woman, and her getting what she needs, and her pleasure being the focus, and her needs being the focus, and her triumphs being the thing I’m cheering for,” she said. “So I’m writing someone that’s going to give her that and still maintain his sense of self.” That’s exactly why her novels resonate so deeply with women: they are always at the center of her writing. And sure, the reason Robbie from Pitcher Perfect is the perfect book boyfriend is because he’s written by a woman, but why should having standards be unrealistic in the first place? Tessa has a few questions for the naysayers: “Why is it unrealistic to have to be respected? Why is it unrealistic to get support from your partner?” “When I hear someone say that [romance books are] unrealistic, I’m like, well, tell me you’ve never gone down on a woman without telling me you’ve never gone down on a woman,” she said.
READ: I’ve Read 14 Tessa Bailey Rom-Coms—Here They Are Ranked By Spiciness
Tessa’s attitude, along with that of her fellow romance authors, is having real-world effects, too. Gone are the days when women hid their copies of 50 Shades of Grey with a different book jacket. We’re over people trying to stigmatize something whose audience is largely for women, by women. They are proud to read their swoon-worthy romances, full of just as much character development as spice. According to WordsRated, romance is a billion-dollar industry and is only continuing to grow. Entire communities have formed around the genre: online ones like BookTok, but also IRL book clubs and romance-only bookstores. Tessa has witnessed it at book signings when her readers say her books have taught them what they deserve—and if that means waiting for a relationship, that’s okay. “They’re happy enough with their books and their high expectations, and they don’t necessarily need or they’re not actively interested in more than that,” she said.
Trust me when I say that the romance communities Tessa helped build will only love her even more after reading her new release, Pitcher Perfect. The sports romance marks the fourth installment of the Big Shots interconnected series and follows Skylar and Robbie, who you may remember from Dreamgirl Drama. It’s 300-plus pages of fake dating, laughs, yearning, complicated family dynamics that may have you tearing up, and yes—of course—spice. For Tessa, this story felt a little more personal. In the book, Skylar doesn’t have much experience with love and asks infamous player Robbie Corrigan to show her the ropes and make her crush jealous. Growing up, Tessa related to Skylar’s uncertainty when it came to romance: not feeling sexy, not knowing how to feel sexy. Something I—and many other readers—can also identify with. You can tell that every page of this book was intentionally and carefully crafted by someone who cares deeply about romance stories. It’s the perfect follow-up in the Big Shots series and only makes me more excited to see what Tessa Bailey does next, both individually and for the community as a whole.
Stack Your Nightstand: Tessa Bailey Books You’ll Want to Binge Like Your Favorite Show
warning: these may cause sleepless nights 🌶️
When wild child Piper Bellinger lands in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts sends Piper to learn some responsibility running her late father’s dive bar… in Washington. Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face.
King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Hannah Bellinger is immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his… personality? Now, Hannah’s in town for work, crashing in Fox’s spare bedroom. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can’t deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost.
In this HGTV-inspired rom-com, Georgette Castle is determined to change her “little sister” image, but she hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Who better to help change that than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite Travis Ford? When Georgie proposes that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job—he agrees. But there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her…
It was supposed to be a relaxing vacation in sweet, sunny Cape Cod—just Taylor Bassey and her beloved brother—but then they discovered a corpse in their rental house. Now a rude, crude bounty hunter has arrived on the back of his motorcycle to catch the killer and refuses to believe Taylor can be helpful, despite the countless hours she’s spent listening to true crime podcasts. Myles needs to solve the murder and get back on the road. Only now there are two threats—and the biggest one is to his heart.
Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at 14, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family’s winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to Napa Valley, and when Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she’ll finally get that smooch. But the starchy professor isn’t the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly. But there’s something so familiar about Hallie… and her very presence is turning Julian’s world upside down.
Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, he only has one remaining supporter. 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…
Craving more Tessa Bailey? We ranked 14 of her rom-coms by spiciness—click here to meet your next book boyfriend.
Lauren Blue, Assistant Editor
As an Assistant Editor for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives. Her articles span the topics of must-read books, movies, home tours, travel itineraries—and everything in between. When she isn’t testing the latest TikTok trend, she can be found scouring Goodreads for new releases to feature on the site.
