Happenstance - Tessa Bailey

Happenstance

By Tessa Bailey

  • Release Date: 2022-11-07
  • Genre: Contemporary Romance
Score: 4
4
From 143 Ratings

Description

From #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Summer comes a romantic comedy about an accidental relationship between three smitten men...and one commitment phobic woman. 

Elise Brandeis has never won a Pulitzer—and she never will. At least not while she's delivering sandwiches at the Gotham Times, instead of working there as an actual reporter. Her only shot at seeing her byline in print is to prove to the no nonsense managing editor that she has a nose for news. And she's got just the story to grab her elusive attention.

Right after she delivers this turkey on ciabatta.

Chasing down leads brings Elise to Roosevelt Island, but just when the trail of clues begins to take shape, she gets stuck. Literally. On a cable car with three strangers who couldn't be more different. An uptight rugby coach, a construction worker and a former adult film star she pretends not to recognize a little too well.

At first, Elise wants nothing more than to be rescued ASAP.

An hour later, everything has changed. By pure happenstance, four separate journeys have collided in an intense, meaningful way. Suddenly, disentangling their lives feels more impossible than winning that Pulitzer. Good thing Elise is too busy proving herself at work to consider three boyfriends. Nobody has time for that—even if they make giving in feel oh so right. But three heads are better than one and these loners will teach themselves to work together to win Elise over forever…

And more importantly, keep their dirty socks off her floor.

Reviews

  • Eh

    2
    By Jaggbhjn Mohammad
    The plot is really shallow and very cringy
  • Boo!!

    1
    By becks_89
    Why are authors doing this now !! More then one hero of a story. Sorry but poly isn’t romantic to me.
  • Fun & flirty - what Tessa does best

    4
    By emislostinabook
    As to be expected from a Tessa Bailey book - this was a fun ride - sweet, spicy, and the perfect stress reliever for me during exam week. This was my first time reading a why choose book so that was an interesting ride as well. Having Tessa Bailey's overprotective, funny and ...communicative... MMCs x3 was absolutely delightful. Overall a fun, quick read!
  • Why Choose? (Internally Screaming)

    5
    By Charmed032798
    Everything about this book is absolutely phenomenal. It’s going to be so hard to put my thoughts into words because once again, Tessa Bailey has left me speechless. This book is the definition of romantic comedy to a T. I have never laughed harder reading a book in my entire life. Each individual character has such a unique personality type that somehow shouldn’t work together and yet they do. Gabe makes my heart flutter. Tobias makes me roll my eyes so hard that it hurts (in the best way possible though, right Tobias?) And Banks makes me feel like a school girl with a crush. Happenstance has now become one of my all time favorite books. I need more of the Tram Fam and need it now. And the spice??? I was practically screaming into my pillow each and every time something remotely spicy happened!! Tessa Bailey has completely rocked my world yet again and now I need another four books about this quad just so I can get my fill. The epilogue had me on the verge of happy tears. I am once again craving more from Tessa’s characters. It happened with IHOS and HLAS and now with Happenstance. Y’all, please read this book when you can get your hands on it. PLEASE! **Thank you, Tessa, for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!!! It was freaking amazing!!!
  • Tram Fam for Life❤️

    5
    By bazingaboston
    The publisher/author gifted me this ARC in exchange for an honest review, so here we go! I honestly LOVED this story and the characters. TRAM FAM FOR LIFE. But seriously, this book had action, steamy romance (🥵!!!), heartwarming moments, and a lot of laughs. This book made me genuinely laugh out loud (oh Tobias) and even got my heart racing at some points with the action packed story. Tessa wrote another gem and I can only hope we get more stories with this foursome. She left it off perfectly with a satisfyingly fulfilling ending, but also leaving you wanting more. AND GUESS WHAT?! WE WANT MORE TRAM FAM, TESSA!
  • Sexy, Steamy, and Hilarious Why Choose Romance

    5
    By @literallybookedsolid
    A porn star, a rugby coach, a construction worker, and a commitment-phobic investigative journalist walk into a tram... What started out as a joke on TikTok has quickly become one of my favorite reads this year. In Bailey's hottest and steamiest book yet, we're introduced to the Tram Fam - Tobias, Banks, Gabe, and Elise - who meet by chance. Their chemistry is electric and soon, Elise realizes she doesn't have to choose between the three of them, when she can have them all. This book is not going to be for everyone, but it ended up being a home run for me. Up until a few months ago, I had never read a reverse harem/why choose book. But thanks to a dear friend, I took the plunge and haven't looked back since. From the first few pages, I was immediately invested in these four characters. I laughed hysterically countless times, especially any time Tobias opened his mouth. The plot is far from predictable and the great banter and witty one-liners you expect from Bailey's writing are in full force. My favorite part of Happen-stance was getting to know the four main characters, who are all layered and complicated in their own rights. They all have distinct personalities and each goes on an individual emotional journey where their growth is amplified by the others. The Tram Fam becomes a true team and a family that genuinely cares for each other. Happen-stance is a fresh twist on other books with this trope, as the men don't know each other beforehand. Usually, the men have done this before and pull the woman into the fold of their relationship. With this being a new experience for all, they ask questions and put down realistic boundaries. 💬 "I’m in love with who I am when I’m with these men. I’m in love with who they’ve become for me. How they imbue me with confidence and protectiveness and power." Happen-stance is a steamy, open door "why choose" romance with a side of mystery and intrigue, set in the world of dirty politics. I promise if you give it a chance, you will fall madly in love with the Tram Fam just as much as I did.
  • Tessa Bailey is a Treasure

    4
    By g-marchiano815
    “Something this perfect can’t be happenstance.” I adore Tessa Bailey and I have this habit of tearing through her books in one sitting. I will say I was a bit nervous going into this one as I’d never read a reverse harem before and I didn’t know what to expect. Needless to say, I really enjoyed it. Elise is such an interesting protagonist who has this habit of trying to take the easy route instead of putting in the work and paying her dues. It extends to her trying to become a reporter while she’s pushing a sandwich cart through the newsroom. Her life is upended when she’s stuck in a team car with three men that she has an electric connection with. What I think I really enjoyed about this was that, while seemingly unconventional, they four of them really connect on a deep level and it’s clear that they care about each other. They develop into a family and they all have something the other needs, which is really beautiful. It was so easy to get sucked into this because the tension between all of them jumps right of the page. Every part of their relationship feels real; they realize early that they have to figure out the logistical dynamics of their relationship. But they also all realize that they don’t want to let any part of it go. The men can come off a bit overprotective at times, but I do think the changes in perspective help and getting their first-person views pulls the relationship together. I definitely understand this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it! If it’s up your alley, I recommend adding it to your TBR! Special thanks to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
  • Spoiler Free: I loved this book

    5
    By satoriaray
    Thanks so much to Tessa for allowing me to read this as an arc. Where to even begin… I am a huge Tessa stan and was so excited to see her branch out into a different type of relationship. She absolutely did not disappoint. As in all of her books, you see the character development of Elise from the start to the end. Paired with amazing smut, fun and lovable male MMCs, and great banter, this book is amazing. I haven’t read a book this fun in awhile. I loved the spice and the small bits of drama that kept the story moving and engaging. This has easily become one of my favorite Tessa Bailey books! You won’t be disappointed.
  • ARC review

    4
    By paperbacksandcupsofcoffee
    I was so excited to receive this ARC since Tessa Bailey is one of my absolute favorite romance authors. I wanted to read this book ever since I heard her talking about it on Tik Tok. Tessa did such a good job writing three love interest’s in a way that let you get to know all of them deeply & understand their characters equally. I loved all three of the men (but I think Toni’s was my favorite). The way the men treated Elise & each other was my favorite thing. I love the Tram Fam. I loved Elise’s self growth is this book. She went from someone hopping between jobs & scared of commitment to being someone that went for what she wanted & did whatever necessary to get there. She was such an enjoyable main character. I got a bit confused with the characters that had to do with the lead Elise was following to jumpstart her journalism career. I can’t blame Tessa for that though, since I think it has to do with the fact that I wasn’t able to read this as quickly as I wanted to. The subplot of corruption & a hint of crime made this book so much more than just a romance novel. I think anyone that loves Tessa’s books will love this one & all three of these men like I did.