I didn't love this book, but I liked it pretty well. There were parts that were laugh-out-loud hilarious, but there were parts that kind of...dragged? for me. I can't totally put my finger on it, but I wasn't able to get as into the main characters as I'm sometimes able to. The thing that really did it in for me, though, was the ending. I don't need an epilogue (though I love epilogues!), but I need SOMETHING after the denouement. It was maybe the most abrupt ending I've ever encountered. Pretty good right along, comedic gems throughout, the grand gesture comes, and them bam. The book just stopped. I kept paging ahead because I thought maybe a chapter had gotten cut off or something. If that kind of thing doesn't bother you, then it's definitely worth a read. Not among my favorites, but a fine read to pass the time.

This is a fun rom-com to pick up this summer for a fun pool read. I will say to beware reading this in public...this is super spicy read!

I always love a good fake romance story - in this case, the reasons for the fake relationship are a little out there. Georgie (can I just say this is the cutest name??) wants to be taken more seriously as an adult and Travis needs to appear settled and wholesome. Honestly, it seemed to me like their chemistry was so strong from the beginning that they were really just looking for a reason to date.

For me, this settled at around a 3-star read because I was not very crazy about Travis. He had a lot of deep issues he was working through, which I understood, and I thought was portrayed well, but I had a problem with his, um, sexual persona? (lol) I don't even know how to describe it except that it made me wildly uncomfortable. If you are used to spicier reads then it may not bother you very much.

"Fix Her Up" is a heartwarming tale of a girl and a boy who didn't know they were perfect for each other until it was almost too late. An excellent read for sitting in the sun and soaking up summer!

I ADORE this book. I read a *lot* of romance novels; most of them I read and then pass on to the next one, enjoying them in the moment but not letting them get any deeper than a fling. And then there are books like Fix Her Up which leave a lasting imprint on your soul. With characters you want to put in a little box in your heart and keep them there to take out and cuddle when you need them. Georgie Castle and Travis Ford definitely made a home in my heart with this one.

I forget I was reading a book, I was so deeply immersed in Fix Her Up. Georgie and Travis became two of my best friends, and if you've read my reviews you know that main characters you want to be friends with are my #1 sign of a truly GREAT book. (Maybe it's the Hufflepuff in me, I don't know.) Tessa Bailey does a phenomenal job of writing characters that are very REAL - multi-dimensional characters that you want to root for, with flaws that not only make them relatable but also make you love them even more.

Georgie's struggle to be seen as an adult rather than just the baby of her family isn't something I've struggled with, but I still empathized and identified with her. I love her joy and that she is just HAPPY being a clown for kids' birthday parties, while at the same time feeling a drive to succeed on a bigger scale and expand her business. Her sense of humor is so refreshing, and at the same time she's not just this fluffy silly character but instead has insecurities, as well as being a FIERCE lioness with a spine of steel when it comes to defending and supporting the people who loves. , as well as being a FIERCE lioness with a spine of steel when it comes to defending and supporting the people she loves. Georgie is whimsy and wonder, sass and strength. I want to both BE her, and be best friends with her.

And then there's Travis. *swoony sigh* I love characters who struggle with insecurities, who are a little bit broken or damaged. Travis feels like he is disposable, and he works so hard to not make any real connections because they put him at risk of being thrown away again.

The dynamic between Georgie and Travis is SO AMAZING. Georgie has been in love with Travis since she was 14 and he was 17, and it's great to see her love of this vision of him grow into something that about who he really is. And then Travis has always seen Georgie as his best friend's little sister. They both have a long history of caring about the other, which is such a great base on which to perch this precarious, sexually charged fake relationship. It's like a powder keg, and it's glorious to watch it blow. ;) Then they each defend the other so fiercely, it sets off all those golden sparks in my heart and just makes me melt.

I LOVE that Georgie and her sister Bethany and their friend Rosie start a women's club to support each other and push each other to reach for their dreams. I love love LOVE seeing strong female friendships in books. Georgie uses her (fake) relationship with Travis to try to get her family and community to see her as an adult, but really she's started the work of being taken seriously herself by having a frank conversation with her sister.

Fix Her Up is the first book in the Hot and Hammered series, and can be read as a stand-alone. At the time of writing this review, there's no info about the other books in the series, but I'm assuming the next book will be about Rosie and Dom, with another book about Georgie's sister Bethany.

If you haven’t seen me mention it an infinite amount of times before, these cartoony cover romcoms have become my kryptonite. Meaning, I want them all and I want them now. There’s no need to read a blurb, or reviews, or look at ratings, I just know I need them in my life. The title/cover of this one led me to believe the action was going to center around my other guilty pleasure – house flipping. Little did I know that the flippy family business was not going to be the focus at all (I bet book #3 is because Bethany is gonna need some luvin’ eventually too!!!!), but rather it was going to be about a FORMER BASEBALL PLAYER. Oh my lort. Any time I can picture Clayton Kershaw as the leading male I get all double-leg-kicky.

But then the female lead was a CLOWN. Literally. A C.L.O.W.N. No one enjoys a clown for cripes sake! However, I am nothing if I’m not a masochist trooper, so I marched on with just a bit (translation – A LOT) of trepidation. For any of you who are also super not interested in reading about Bozo getting her groove on, have no fear! Despite our leading lady legit wearing the white face paint and honking nose, she also had goals of becoming THE name in children’s party planning and was not a manic pixie dream girl like I feared she would be.

And then. THEN! It was a FAKE ROMANCE TROPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh how I love the let’s pretend we’re in love trope. The terms this time around were MLB bad boy Travis suffered a career-ending injury before ever reaching 30 and went into a downward spiral. When a chance at a broadcast career becomes available, Travis has to make quick work of spit-shining his image. Enter his bestie’s sister, Georgie. In love with him since they were in kids, she’s willing to put her feelings on the backburner in order to help Travis achieve his goal as well as for her to achieve hers (*cough losing her V-card cough*).

Not only was this completely adorable, but also? They went to pound town before the 50% mark and lemme tell you, Travis had more than just magic hands. You know what that means, right? Sploooooooooooooooooooooosh. There’s only one thing I have to say about Travis: #hecangetit

Bottom line? All the Starzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I’ve had a shitty couple of weeks and this baby turned my frown upside down. A perfect poolside read!

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

This book came SO close to four stars, but I had to knock it one off because of a pernicious romance trope that seems semi-inevitable at this point. It's so hard to make complications and obstacles that don't involve the male character (in particular) being a irredeemable douchebag, but this isn't the way. (I'm not going to say what that particular trope is. You can probably guess it in three.)

What I will say is that the dialog is charming, the characters have chemistry, and oh my! those sex scenes are extra raunchy. Mr. Baseball Player has a very dirty mouth. I was blushing.

I loved that the heroine is a legit birthday party clown, and there is no shade cast by the narrative for her career choices. Her family, on the other hand, insists on seeing her as the baby (she's twenty-three!), which makes the return of her childhood crush into her orbit extra difficult. Travis is a baseball player whose career ended early with an injury, and he's a prickly ball of rejection and self-loathing. His nickname is Two Bats.

Leaving you with that mental image.

3 1/2 Stars!!

"Georgie reared back and threw the full container of melted dessert at Travis's naked back, watching in fascination as it spread into a Rorschach painting on his shoulders. And hair."

Travis Ford, the object of Georgie's teenage dreams (well, maybe beyond teenage), is back in town. After an injury, Travis is no longer a hot commodity on the baseball diamond. He's back in his hometown, wallowing in self pity, take out and alcohol.

Georgie Castle has never left her hometown. Where she is, is where she will stay. The baby of the family and often overlooked, she starts to learn how to make her own way in her the family. And her community.

A convenient agreement between her and Travis can benefit them both. As it turns out, neither expected their fake relationship to become the real deal.

This is a sweet story of a girl (possibly) getting the man of her dreams. And a man getting something he never thought he could have.

While the premise of "Fix Her Up" by Tessa Bailey may seem familiar, what really drives the novel is the protagonist, Georgie Castle. Her character development throughout the entire novel is so authentic and inspiring, which makes you root for her every step of the way, as well as wish she were your friend. She is a very real character with real goals and issues that many people can easily relate to, and is unapologetically herself. While the plot is centered around her romance with her childhood crush Travis Ford, it by no means defines her or diminishes what she deserves in life.

Travis Ford as a character was a bit much at times, though. Whether it was playing into a stereotype or maybe that's who he'd always been, he came off pretentious and very jock-ish with his language and excessive use of the term "baby girl" when addressing Georgie. It got to the point where it become laughable how forced some of his affection was towards her. He wasn't all bad and I did appreciate when Bailey dug a little further into his personal struggles and demons that plagued him, which made him more well-rounded and someone you could root for.

It was also just nice to see a novel where there was no big cataclysmic event that tore the two love interests apart, and that they actually grew together as a couple in a very genuine and relatable way. In the early stages of any relationship it's always difficult to fully understand one's emotions and what they want out of that relationship, and Bailey is able to capture that turmoil in both Georgie and Travis beautifully. All-in-all, "Fix He Up" was such a fun read and am excited to read more of Tessa Bailey's work.

2.5 Stars
It's been a long while since I've read one of Bailey's novels and was excited about this new release. The synopsis immediately caught my attention, sounding like the usual romances I tend to enjoy, but sadly "Fix Her Up" did not work for me. It wasn't a total miss ~ I adored the heroine, Georgie. She was a bright, loving, spirited young woman determined to expand her business, establish her place within the family and reinvent herself. She was all about positivity, the sisterhood and girl power. Her love interest, Travis, is where the story lost me. In general, I disliked everything about him. I found him too cold-hearted, disrespectful and unworthy of Georgie's affections. He had Alpha tendencies with all his growling and broody behavior, which I love, but he failed when it came to claiming his woman. Travis, on the whole, was not my kind of hero and unfortunately, my feelings towards his character overshadowed the entire read.

This story regardless of how I felt about the hero was well written and included several tropes that readers might enjoy. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, focused another couple, whose circumstances piqued my interest.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher (HarperCollins) for the free e-galley of this novel. All opinions expressed below are my own.

I have mixed feelings about Fix Her Up. On one hand, I really enjoyed the story! I liked the small town setting and the side story of fixing up houses. For me, it was a unique setting that I really enjoyed (who doesn't love home improvement shows!). I enjoyed both Georgie and Travis as characters. Georgie is cute and spunky and so fun! Travis is apparently an ex-athlete hearthrob. A great couple to cheer for. Both characters have items to work on in their lives and there's a larger cast of characters to get behind. I adore the cartoon cover and think this will make the story appeal to a larger audience, but would only recommend this one with heavy caution. I think it could work for some, but I still think it works better for a more traditional romance reader.

On the other hand, there were several things that didn't work for me. I'll outline some of those:
1) The "dirty" sex talk and sex scenes. I believe even the characters describe it as filth. This was off-putting for me. I don't mind a sexy novel and am fine with dirty talk, but this really did read filthy. It seemed to hint at more of an S&M or dominant relationship that just didn't sit well with me. Plus, I just don't picture Georgie enjoying this, especially right off the bat.
2) Georgie works as a clown. I shouldn't stereotype, but picturing her as a clown and as a sexual being was just a bit icky for me. Sorry to all of the clowns out there.
3) Misogynist themes. Okay, I get that this is small town, but why do all of the men seem to be sexist? Do we really have to believe that exists? And do our women really have to have their own club in order to build themselves up? I was especially bothered by the relationship between Georgie's brother and sister-in-law. He shows up EVERYWHERE she is and takes her home. What is this?

I ended up settling for 3 stars. I enjoyed this novel, but really had difficulty with the parts outlined above. If it hadn't been for those, this would definitely have a much higher rating. I liked the characters and the setting. This is my first Tessa Bailey novel, but maybe some of the others would work better for me as a reader.

Georgie Castle’s family runs the best renovation business in town. But Georgie has her own business – as a clown. No one takes her seriously and she is forever relegated to youngest sibling.

Travis Ford is the gorgeous best friend of her older brother and she has had a crush on him since forever. Now that an injury has ended his professional baseball career, he has returned home, feeling like a failure and hiding from the world.

Georgie tries to save Travis from himself and he notices she isn’t a kid any more. Then, Georgie proposes they fake date to try to accomplish both their goals – her being recognized as an adult and him being taken seriously to win his dream job—and the attraction is more than both of them can believe.

Can Georgie and Travis overcome their own insecurities and other peoples preconceived ideas about them and find happiness?

I wanted to read Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey because it seemed like a cute, sports-themed romance. It was cute. Georgie’s character is very cute and sweet and caring. Travis is a nice guy (well, in the beginning he is annoying) even though he thinks he is a failure and damaged. The story, with Georgie wanting to be accepted as a mature adult and Travis trying to overcome tragedy, deal with his demons and falling for his best friend's little sister, is very appealing. Tropes are popular for a reason and they are engagingly employed here. I enjoyed the story and would recommend it. However, based on the description I was expecting a gentler romance. This was quite a modern and sexy story—it almost seemed like Georgie’s character was too sweet. And some of the language and behaviors of the male characters were a little offensive. It was a bit incongruous and pulled me out of the story more than once.

Overall, it was a fun story and I would try other novels by the author. I would recommend it for readers wanting a spicy, contemporary romance. 3.5 stars.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I love this one! Travis was one grouchy bear from the first moment we met him and it was fun to watch his interactions with Georgette. This one was just cute and Tessa know how to write her dirty talking hero's. Steam was off the charts. I'm already adding book 2 to my tbr!

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Fix Her Up

I really enjoyed reading Fix Her Up. This book had several of my favorite tropes -- friends to lovers, best friend’s sister, fake dating. All three hit their marks.

Georgie is a clown. Literally. That’s her job. To dress up as a clown and entertain at kid’s parties. She isn’t taken seriously and deep down that truly bothers her. She wants to be seen. Seen as an adult, seen as woman and seen as a businesswoman.

Travis is in a slump. No longer a ballplayer after an injury, he comes back to the town he grew up in and withdrew from the world. That is, until Georgie enters his apartment, throws food at him and brings him back to the land of the living.

WIth a job prospect on the line, Georgie and Travis strike a deal. Pretend to date so they could each get what they want, Georgie to be taken seriously and finally be seen as the adult she is and Travis to show he changed his “Two Bats” ways and is in a serious relationship in order to get the announcing job he’s up for.

What he didn’t expect was to catch some serious feelings for Georgie. Watching them bring out the best of each other was great. And, of course, the sexy times were what I’d expect from a Tessa book. Down and dirty and full of steam. I loved the dynamic between the two of them.

One of the things I enjoyed most was the underlying theme of sisterhood between Georgie, Bethany, Rosie and, though she ran a bit high-maintenance at times, Kristin. Building each other up and helping each other attain their goals. I would very much recommend this book to others.

I've quite liked what I've read from Tessa Bailey in the past, but this one sadly just didn't work for me at all. I really did not connect with any of the characters outside of Georgie & her brother, and it's not a great sign when you're actively rooting against the couple to get together in a romance. The pacing & tone were off, as well, from what I've encountered from Bailey in the past.

That said, there are some real crowd pleasers in terms of tropes in this one, and it's certainly not the worst book of its kind I've encountered. If you've enjoyed this author in the past, it's definitely worth seeing if you like this one better than I did.

This was your classic guy violates bro code by falling in love with his best friend sister/starting a fake relationship for the sake of obtaining something at the end (in this case its a job for Travis and respect from her family for Georgie. There are so many variations to this story, I keep reading to see how authors try to make it different, This story pretty funny since georgie is your girl next door and the baby of the family, so even though she is an adult she is still treated as one. Reading her character grow and development is a quick, funny read. The story will tug at your heart a little but its mostly a feel good read.

**A preface filled with relevant information to the experienced readers out here who’s review-read summaries are law, and a star missing can mean the difference between a book match made in effervescent heaven or of you cursing said reviewers name for all eternity because the book was a flaming dud, despite the stellar, glowing reviews that say the opposite.

I’ve been on a reading hiatus I was not even aware I had participated in until I was recently asked for a new- release book recommendation and I drew a complete blank; it has been 2 months since I have read a new release and that last book was Lisa Kleypas’ much anticipated— though devastatingly lacking in plot and execution— Devil’s Daughter (2.5-3 stars so you can get a full picture of my actual devastation for my much-loved Kleypas). I digress. My hiatus abounded from my lack of interest in repetitious plot lines, vampires, unrealistic dialogue and what’s worse, cringy AND unrealistic dialogue in the same novel (sometimes with vampires, there are some real messy books out there people!). I apologize for the blatheration, I promise I’m getting to my review but you really need to understand that I’ve had this book hidden under my very nose just waiting to be read and reviewed but I honest to goodness am self-diagnosing myself as having had Book Fatigue Syndrome: something I just made up right now that happens when all the books you read suck and make you cringe and die inside for an original story with developed characters who don’t have to be perfect! but need feeling so you can have feelings while you’re reading about them! End rant.

Which moves me along to Tessa Bailey’s Fix Her Up. I read two pages and put it aside for a month, due to BFS. Then I read it in a day straight and started to believe again in author’s who have a purpose in writing entertainment for their audience. Hallelujah!

Fix Her Up had a heroine, Georgie, who was actually funny— and I hardly ever laugh during books, it’s a problem but it’s mine— and entertaining, and charming and quirky and unique enough to grab onto and hold my attention. The love story between Georgie and Travis was endearing, the dialogue cute, the problems semi-conceivable enough that I wanted to continue the read.

I do have to Debbie Down this love fest though because I’m annoyed by book tropes: this book was sailing along fine up to the 30 percent mark and then uh oh! randomly the main characters propose to fake date! NOOO! You guys were doing so well before that unrealistic, never done in real life, blah-dom! Other than that this book was a quick, funny read with endearing characters that got me out of my book slump and eager to roll my eyes into another book. Because, as you hungry readers like myself know, you sometimes have to read 30 blah books to get to that one book that makes you laugh, and cry and ache for your book friends! I see you Sue!

Happy reading and thank you Tessa Bailey for helping me get over my Book Fatigue Slump! You are a definite auto-buy from now on.

I loved this book. I liked how the characters had a history, but also discovered each other in a new light. The Just Us League was inspiring and hilarious. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Thank you so much to Avon for sending this to me on Netgalley!!!

I LOVED IT!!! It was so incredibly sweet, adorable, and STEAMY!! Don’t let the cover or title fool you, this book is HOT! The sex scenes had me fanning myself but then something really cute would happen and make me smile huge!! I couldn’t get enough of this book, it was addicting to read and flew through it in two sittings. I literally spent the entire day in bed reading this and it was wonderful.

The story follows Georgie and Travis who have known eachother forever because Travis is Georgie’s older brothers best friend. He’s a play boy, baseball athlete until an injury makes him retire super early and he has to go back to his childhood town. He’s trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life while Georgie, who is the youngest sibling and a clown for a living is trying to reinvent herself so people would take her more seriously. And she’s ALWAYS had the biggest crush on Travis which just made it all even better. This also has the fake dating trope which I LOVE!! The two of them help eachother out and help make each other better and it’s just beautiful to read!

I really loved them not only as a couple but as individuals. So much family and a lot of personal growth but I love how it stems for them helping eachother our of their comfort zone. I was so proud of both of them by the end of this book and the ending was SO CUTE!!

I loved how involved Georgie’s family was and especially her friendship with Rosie and Bethany! I loved them and all the moments in the Just Us League! I loved how they each had their own goals and would cheer eachother on, so refreshing to read about! I can’t wait for Rosie and Dominic’s story!! Hearing about it in this book just makes me so eager to find out how those two are going to work it out and find their HEA!

So many favorite parts in this book but I will say that I’ll probably never look at a baseball dugout the same way again! If you read the book you’ll know what I mean! I loved watching Travis fall for his best friends little sister and how deep in love with her he was by the end of the book! It was so angsty while still adorable at the same time. I really love the fake dating trope! It just pulls at your heart in all the right ways. I loved watching Georgie fall for who Travis really is, this imperfect man. I loved all her awkward moments with him, especially in the beginning. She was so strong and knew what she deserved! Plus her job was so unique and led to some really cute and eye opening moments for Travis! I loved these two together so much and by the end of the book, I really felt like they were fully in love. I hope to see them again in the next book!!

This book is the perfect summer read, especially if you’re looking for something light, fun, and STEAMY!!! Definitely pick this up on June 11th, and I’m so excited to read more from Tessa Bailey!

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
Georgie has been in love with Travis for half her life. He only saw her as an annoying little sister. When his life goes off the rails and he ends up back in their hometown, drowning in his sorrows, she goes after him.
The opening scene in this book was worth the read. Everyone is tiptoeing around Travis and his shattered dreams. Georgie, however, is not going to let him destroy himself wallowing. So she enters his home and throws days old food at him. I loved that she gave him no quarter. She knew he was stronger than that and he still had a lot of life to live. She wasn’t concerned about getting him to like her, she just wants him to stop with the pity party.
Unfortunately, the rest of the book was very familiar. A fake relationship that begins to feel real. A family who doesn’t take their youngest seriously. A major misunderstanding and hurt feelings. A grand apology gesture.
It is a good story and I enjoyed it but that opening scene had me expecting a lot more.

This book was SO cute. I loved the story of Travis and Georgie so so much. They were so cute. It's pretty much guaranteed that any book with fake dating will be a win for me, and this is no exception. I love love love the strong family relationships and the quality character development that I saw throughout the story. I'm so excited to recommend this!