I DESTROYED this. I started it and finished it within 24 hrs. I just couldn't stop. I thought about it obsessively at work. I was not expecting to like it as much as I did, but the main characters are so adorable. Georgie is one of my fave female characters I've read this year. Loved it! I'm already selling it at work!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC of this novel. Regardless of the way I acquired the novel, the thoughts, opinions, and views stated in this review are completely unbiased and one hundred percent my own.

I am so happy I decided to pick this book up. I knew this was a romance going in, but I was PLEASANTLY surprised by how steamy this book got. Wow-wee!!! This wasn't exactly an enemies to lovers, or even friends to lovers, but a best friend's younger sister to lovers troupe and I ate it up!

This novel dealt with so many important issues seamlessly. We watch as a group of women learn to support one another, and see a man battling through toxic masculinity that had been ingrained in him since childhood. I loved that we got to see these two characters grow in the context of their relationship and individually as people. Our male MC was a former pro baseball player, dealing with rejection from the sport and trying to outgrow his sportsman persona. Our female MC is the youngest sibling in a family who doesn't take her or her life seriously. We watch as these two support one another fervently throughout the novel.

Did I mention this novel was steamy?! And in a healthy consensual way?! What a gift, honestly. I could not swipe the pages of my kindle fast enough during those hot and heavy scenes. The writing style throughout the novel was so well paced, and engaging. Not once did I feel like an outsider or a reader, I truly felt like I was part of the story with these characters. And their love story felt real. The chemistry was there for me, and how they each feel into each other felt organic, and not forced due to circumstances or literary climaxes.

Overall this was very well done: a sweet and sexy romance, and a story of two people coming into their own authentic selves. Bravo.

This was so much fun and incredibly steamy and sexy. It's far from perfect - there were moments where he goes too alpha male for me and I have a lot of questions about the timeline and the baseball aspects - but none of that took away from my enjoyment of the book. I absolutely flew through it and I definitely want to pick up some more Tessa Bailey books in the future.

If I were to commission an author to write me my perfect romance novel, it might turn out a lot like Fix Her Up. My perfect romance novel would feature main characters who are a little lost, a little broken. Not angsty drama magnets, just relatable people at a turning point in their lives, unsure which way to turn. Travis has recently been expelled from heaven, tossed from the professional baseball career he loved. Georgie has a job she loves, but wants her family to see her as something other than just the baby of the family, though she's unsure how to change their view.

My perfect romance novel would include some laughs. A book that opens with airborne lo mein is off to a good start, right? The story isn't silly or uproarious, but provides regular chuckles mostly via characters' clever banter or smart aleck comments.

My perfect romance novel hero would be handsome and slightly cocky, with a filthy mouth and more potential than he realizes. Travis Ford is a Dirty. Talk. Champ. He's also a better man than he has any idea until he sees himself through someone else's eyes.

My perfect romance novel heroine would be smart, independent, and witty. She'd be pretty, but she'd be more than her appearance. Georgie Castle is, at age 23, a small business owner, a homeowner, and a talented entertainer. She has a knack for saying the right thing in the moment, especially when the moment calls for a snarky comeback or an encouraging word.

My perfect romance novel could not be my favorite without some delicious sexual tension and several creative sexytime interludes. Um, yeah. No by-the-book missionary-in-a-bed nonsense here.

My perfect romance novel would have a sweet, cuddly dog who's a little smarter than any dog ought to be and yet fully devoted to its owner and the owner's love interest. This might be the only way that Fix Her Up fell short of being my ideal because there was no dog in the story, but I'm willing to overlook it since it was so terrific overall.

Highly Recommended!

I'd call this undercover erotica. By that I mean the cover and synopsis make it sound like your typical contemporary romance. But when the characters really get together it is so spicy it may as well be covered in ghost peppers. While I sometimes go for the best-friend's-sibling-to-lover trope, I thought Georgie was way too good for everyone in her life, especially her siblings and the love interest, Travis. Everyone treated her like garbage for most of the book, to the point I wondered why she puts up with it--and wondered too why I as the reader should keep putting up with it?

With that and all the sub plots and the townsfolk going crazy, the element that saved the book was the smoking hot sex, which as I mentioned I didn't realize was going to be there. Thank you, smoking hot sex for saving this book! The author spent a bunch of time relating side character's romantic subplots and since none of them appeal to me I'll probably be ending my journey with this series here.

Pick this book up if you're hitting the beach and want to blame the flames on the side of your face on the sun and not the steamy words you're reading.

“Dammit, Georgie. You had to be exactly what I need, didn’t you?”

As much as I enjoy the illustrated cover trend, I am finding that a lot of them don’t quite match the story inside. I expected Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey to be light, fluffy and on the clean side, but let me tell you, it was NOT clean, it was HOT. There were some light and fluffy moments, but there were some serious themes that definitely brought the emotion, and there was also a dose of chick-lit inside.

(graphic on website)

Georgie is the youngest sibling in a large family. Her family owns a house flipping business, but she did her own thing and became a clown.

"Georgie had stuck her business degree diploma in a drawer and become a clown for a reason. Making people laugh and spreading joy made her happy."

It’s bad enough being the youngest sibling and not being taken seriously, but being a clown? Obviously, that adds a bit! Travis was a pro baseball player who, after an injury ended his career, is home licking his wounds. Travis is Georgie’s older brother’s best friend, and she has had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. So when nobody can get through to Travis and get him back in the world of the living, Georgie won’t let him wallow. Lo mein to the head anyone?

We also have a side story where some of the women form a group for female empowerment. The Just Us Club is a great part of the story, and I wish we had a little more about their businesses, but I think we will get that in the next books in the series about Georgie’s sister or friend.

“A club. I’m proposing a club for women, of which we’re the founding fucking members. We all want things. Let’s go get them together.”

Travis has a reputation of a player, with the nickname “two bats”, but he is in the running for a sports announcer position at a wholesome station. Georgie is never taken seriously, so they propose a fake relationship to help them both out. She’s be considered an adult, and he’d look wholesome with this sweet little virgin clown.

At first I had a bit of a hard time getting into Fix Her Up. Third person is not my favorite, plus I literally just finished a book with almost the same premise. The tropes were pretty common. But the hot sex and Georgie’s development won me over.

“Whining and shaking on top of me, showing me how hot you’d be to fuck, but baby girl can’t seal the deal on her own. Can you? Need to be held down and told to come while I’m riding your pretty panties, don’t you? Well, go on.”

Travis was so broken inside and grew up so unwanted, that he couldn’t really believe a girl like Georgie wanted him, and I found that vulnerability so sweet.

"The girl offering her mouth in a way that made him feel . . . worthy."

In the end, I really loved Fix Her Up despite my initial difficulties.

(graphic on website)

Likes:
•I think the cover is cute, I am sick of torsos (though it didn’t really fit the story).
•It set up the series really well.
•Georgie’s growth throughout the book from a meek little sister to an empowered leader.
•Travis’s vulnerability.
•The dirty talking, dominating sex was HOT.
•The women empowerment group.
•How much Travis needed her.

Dislikes:
•3rd person
•The cover didn’t match what was inside (though I liked the cover).
•Very common tropes, brother’s best friend, fake relationship, man-whore jock and virgin. Not very unique.
•The ending went too far too fast, especially since there is more in the series.

The Down & Dirty:
Honestly, the hot sex won me over. I haven’t really been into erotic books lately and none of the ones I do read have really done it for me recently. But there was something about this that pressed all my buttons (tee-hee), and there wasn't a lot of it, so it never overwhelmed the story. As soon as the first almost-sex scene happened I was all-in and completely fell for the broken and unwanted Travis. I loved Georgie right from the start and I loved watching her strength and leadership grow. I am fully invested in this family, and I can’t wait to read the next in the series. Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey is billed as a rom-com from what I can tell, and while it does have elements of romcom, I think it is way more of a straight contemporary romance, and it's one I'd recommend.

Rating: 4 Stars, 5 Heat

A first in a new romance series. This has a great cast of characters who are funny and easy to love (and hate). Travis Ford is in a slump after an injury pushes him out of playing professional baseball. He returns home and finds himself spending time with Georgie, his best friend's youngest sister. These characters had great chemistry! Looking forward to the next in the series, Love Her or Lose Her.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The innocent cover certainly had me fooled... holy moly if you are looking for steam then this would be your book. Although it was very romcom there were some sex scenes that have you blushing.

I really liked the story between Georgie who is a clown.... no really, who no one takes seriously and Travis who was once a professional baseball player but due to an injury isn't able to play anymore. He's also sports a bad reputation so the baseball community pretty much shut him out. The two form a plan to fake date to get what they want and further their careers. We all know what happens next...

Great summer read. Cute story line. I know Rosie's book is next but I'm hoping for Bethany's book soon.

2.5 stars.
This is a very hard book to rate and also to review IMO .
It is my first Tessa Bailey book so I am not sure if this is typical of her writing style or not!!

I found it a little weird to be honest, the characters didn't always make sense to me, aka the virgin "clown" girl (yes, that is in fact how she makes a living) and the depressed, ex-manwhore, ex-baseball player.
Georgie came across as a sweet and sassy 23 year old gal but she just wasn't believable to me in any way- for some reason the author saddled this character with a totally unrealistic job, a zero dating history and up until recently she had worn "hand-me-down" clothes for her entire life.
The book also didn't flow well for me. I found it distracting and confusing how the writing changed from the steamy sex scenes and then back to the more bizarre storyline.
There were several parts that I had to skim through but though this book wasn't really a hit with me, there was still something about Tessa Bailey's writing that I liked enough that I would consider giving this author a second chance with a vastly different storyline.

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fix Her Up is deeper than you would expect; dealing with the way in which your identity and self-belief can be shaped by the people around you and not in a positive fashion. Both Georgie and Travis struggle with the way in which people perceive them, especially their families. Resulting in a self-fulfilling prophecy type situation whereby Travis and Georgie live down to the expectations and restrictions placed on them.

The character growth is the foundation of Fix Her Up with the smexy being a secondary factor. I really liked how Georgie took control of her life and went for the things she wanted. A little help from her friends and the creation of a women’s support group – The Just Us League – ensure Georgie is on the right path to finding her true path.

I also liked how Tessa portrayed the quest for affection and daddy issues prompting some questionable decisions – this was made all the more poignant for the gender switch, as truthfully (and disgracefully) I had never considered it in respect to the opposite sex.

I adored the peripheral female characters in The Just Us League and cannot wait for their individual stories (Rosie and Dominic *fans self*).

The events within Fix Her Up will have you melting into a puddle of goo – which is exactly what should happen when reading romance 😍

This was so so so good. I devoured it in a day. Super steamy, laugh out loud funny at times, deeply emotional at others. A slow burning best friend's littlle sister, fake relationship love story all woven together seamlessly with smart writing and captivating, quirky characters. I highly recommend this one!

Wow!!! Do not let the innocent cover fool you. This book is hot!! I love the trend of cute covers but be warned that this book contains some pretty descriptive scenes. Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey was the perfect mix of sweet and hot. I love when an author can put together a good story with great characters and also write some hot scenes.

Fix Her Up is the story of Georgie Castle, clown and child whisper, and Travis Ford, bad boy baseball player. Georgie has had a crush on her brother’s best friend since forever, and when Travis returns to town broken after a career ending injury, sparks fly and a plan is made. They decide to pretend to date, for both their benefits.

This book checks off all my boxes. Fake relationship, bad boy and innocent girl trope, and childhood unrequited love. This is my first book from Tessa Bailey and I devoured it. Can’t wait until the next book in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book

I recently discovered Tessa Bailey with "Getaway Girl" and I am now a fan. Of course I jumped at the chance to review her latest book, "Fix Her Up" and it was everything I wished for. Georgie and Travis's story was sweet and funny and steamy. They are both trying to break from the molds they have been stuck it throughout their lives: Travis the charming player and Georgie the kid sister who won't grow up in her family's eyes. They find a way to help each other grow into the people they want to be. Read this book if you need a romantic pick me up. Read this book if you enjoy some really well-written steam with a great plot. Read this book if you've recently discovered Tessa Bailey and can't get enough of her writing.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet, funny stroy about a young woman figuring herself out and moving on with her life outside of her families wants and a has been baseball player that just wants to be more...2 people perfect for each other.

Really enjoyed this romance novel! A retired baseball player and his best friend's sister reach an "agreement" to date one another to improve both of their images. In the process, they fall in love and have a lot of steamy sex! You'll love it...I promise!

I absolutely loved this book. The slow burn was realllll but once the flame was lit... DAMN it was STEAMY. Georgie was by far my favorite character. I loved her strong, blunt personality. I related to her in so many ways especially with her adventure in growing her confidence and leadership qualities. Travis is the guy all the girls want or perhaps I should say all the girls HAD. With a rather popular reputation with the ladies, it is Georgie who ultimately challenges him to rise above his childish ways and face his many fears. My only critique of this book is that when it ended I was like what the heck... THAT'S IT? I was definitely left wanting more and NEEDING more.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read an ARC of this wonderful book in exchange for honest review.

Oh my! How I love a Tessa Bailey book and this book was the best yet! I adored this book and i was riveted to this story. Georgie and Travis were a great couple. I loved the ups and down of this relationship as it kept this story fresh even though the trope is as old love itself. I was so rooting for this couple. Georgie was a force to be reckoned with, and Travis was a piece of work. Thanks once again for a wonderful read!

Oh my goodness! This book is everything! It's got an amazing family dynamic, out of this world chemistry and those romance scenes are so steamy! I need more Tessa Bailey books in my life now!

Whew, boy. That was hot! Do not let this cover fool you. The story inside is every bit emotional, steamy, & un-put-down-able. I loved how I was fanning myself at the sexy times one minute, only to laugh out loud at the characters & their quirky connection the next. This story felt intimate, yet genuine. If you’re looking for a contemporary romance that packs some serious heat, but can also deliver a solid character arch— this is the book to deliver.

Don't let the cover fool you, y'all - this book is packing a lot of heart and a lot of STEAM. This was my first Tessa Bailey novel, but it's certainly not going to be my last (especially because I already know there's a companion/sequel to Fix Her Up coming out!).

The main thing that stood out about this book was the chemistry between Georgie and Travis - and how real they were with one another. I will never, ever, ever, in my entire life, get over the scene where she throws old lo mein at him while he is sleeping (sans clothes, mind you) and then tells him to get over himself and man up. I mean, I'm pretty sure that's the first chapter - what a spectacular way to get a feel for a character's personality!

Travis is down on his luck, and he's feeling it. Georgie is doing well for herself but wants more, both professionally and personally. Watching their dynamic change from the one they had when they were children (Georgie as the pesky younger sister of Travis' BFF) to an adult dynamic filled with trust, protectiveness, love, and hope was really great to read and I enjoyed every part of it.

The sex scenes were, as previously mentioned, um, well, STEAMY. Having not read Tessa Bailey before, I had no clue going in (that cover got me, I won't lie). They were all fun and interesting, but some of them seemed a bit implausible or unnecessarily filled with dirty talk - and some of the dirty talk seemed a bit out of place. It wasn't even that the words themselves were bothersome, it would just go from lukewarm to filthy in a span of seconds ... with her entire family in the next room? After her mother played wingwoman and sent Travis out to check on her? (i.e. Do dirty things to her in the shed out back while the rest of the family is finishing dinner??) Had certain scenes been set up a bit differently, this wouldn't have been an issue for me (and it didn't seem to be an issue for others I know that have read it, so I might be overly critical here).

Overall, it's a book that I recommend and think would be perfect for summer! I might even have to find a few more Tessa Bailey's for my own beach day reads ;)