I’m so glad I gave Tessa Bailey another chance. I was almost immediately sucked into Rosie and Dominic’s story. I love a second chance romance and this is exactly why.

Rose and Dominic are working to fix their marriage. They both learn that this involves both of them. I’m glad it wasn’t just one person’s “fault”. And their flaws felt real and organic-especially Dominic. They still have great sexual chemistry, but are struggling with emotional intimacy. Again, that’s a very real problem people face everyday in relationships.

The friendships were also great. Both Rosie and Dominic have great friend groups to support them. I’m also here for the sequel bait that was put out there.

Love Her or Lose Her is the second book in Tessa Bailey’s Hot & Hammered series  A love story about a marriage on the rocks and about growing into who you were always meant to be, this novel is fun, sweet, intense and heartwarming. It stands very well on its own; Georgie and Travis from Fix Her Up, book one in the series,  make frequent appearances here but you don’t need to have read their story to appreciate this one.

When a man flirts with her at work, faithfully married Rosie Vega makes a startling discovery - no one has made her feel admired in a long time. In fact, when she stops to think about it, no one has even made her feel seen in years. Her husband Dominic barely grunts at her when she gets home from work, much less talks to her.  He never waits to eat dinner with her or invites her to watch TV with him. Even the physical side of the relationship is messed up. They have sex on a schedule - hot and passionate sex every Tuesday night, completely devoid of affection like it’s a booty call with a stranger. This is Tuesday night but that minor flirtation with a stranger has made Rosie determined that she won’t be doing anything but packing a suitcase and walking out the door once she gets home.

That’s exactly what she does: She tells a startled Dominic that she’s done, packs a bag and goes to her friend Bethany’s. But Dominic isn’t ready to give up on their marriage, so he starts dropping by her new abode to drop off the coat she forgot, or to warm her car up in the morning, and talking to her at the gym where they both work out and urging her to come home. In fact, he talks to her more at the gym in a few short minutes than he has in several years previously. Rosie does want to go back - but back to what they were when they were first together, not what they are now. She’s not sure they can change, but the desperation in Dominic’s voice has her agreeing to give him one more chance to make things right. She concedes they need marriage counseling and then deliberately chooses a therapist who is the opposite of what Dominic  would want. She’s fairly confident that when Dominic gets a look at the weed smoking hippie with pillows rather than chairs in his office, he’ll walk out and that will tell her exactly what she needs to know; that Dominic isn’t willing to do whatever it takes to get them back on track.

Dominic surprises her. He not only sits through the initial session, he does the follow up homework. Having been told to write a letter expressing his feelings, he pens a note telling her how he felt taking her to the high school Homecoming dance their senior year - and how sorry he is that he doesn’t make her feel cherished every day. It’s a good start, but will love notes and therapy sessions on fluffy cushions really be enough to put this marriage back together?

I love how this relationship is depicted. Rosie and Dominic are not unkind to each other, nor are they emotionally indifferent. They love each other. The problem is that they have been taking each other for granted, making zero effort to connect in any way. Rosie works evenings in retail, while Dominic works during the day in construction. They do everything separately and don’t even greet each other when they cross paths. It’s not until they start counseling that they realize how thoroughly they’ve been neglecting each other.

The fact that both have been neglectful rather than cruel made it easy for me to root for Rosie and Dominic both as individuals and as a couple. The two of them have been together since their early teens and know each other very well. That familiarity, along with the fact that they’ve been together over a decade, had led them to a situation where they see each other as fixtures rather than living, breathing people with hopes, dreams and feelings.   I loved how Rosie realized she needed more from life and began to pursue it. I adore a heroine who takes charge of her own destiny. Dominic’s a hard-working, quiet, considerate man whose main goal in life is to make Rosie happy. His problem was that he thought he could do that by copying his parent’s marriage but it turned out that wasn’t what was best for his own relationship. Once the counselor shows him why what he’s doing is wrong, he begins to make the changes he needs to make to fix his marriage. The fact that both Rosie and Dominic cherish each other enough to really work through the situation was wonderful and I really appreciated that the bulk of the story was about learning to be a team, building a genuine rapport and connecting. Too often romances try to sell instalust as love. That doesn’t happen here; we get an in-depth look at what each character is feeling and thinking and then get to see them interacting and building emotional intimacy. That gave me all the feels.

This story was building towards DIK status but it ran into some snags at the end. What had been a fairly serious - but still fun and enjoyable - love story develops a case of what I call ‘the sillies’ towards the end. Rather than just providing us with a reunited Rosie and Dominic, the author pulls out all the stops and has every possible dream come true for the couple. In some novels this would have been a good ending but since this story was all about working on your relationship and working for your dreams, having everything go magically right in the last few chapters felt a bit - much. I would have preferred a more realistic ending that was in keeping with the story the author had been telling all along.

That is a minor flaw, though, and doesn’t happen until near the end of Love Her or Lose Her. And frankly, if the author was going to make any mistake, that is the perfect one to make in a genre known for happy endings. I think fans of the author will be very pleased with this book and readers who love stories about an emotionally intimate relationship should rush out and buy it. They will find a lot to love here.

Buy it at: Amazon
Visit our Amazon Storefront or shop at your local independent bookstore

Sweet and emotional, but SO STEAMY. Their relationship issues are super relatable and their chemistry was off the charts! Loved getting to know more about Travis and Georgie's story, and I can't wait to hear more about Rosie and Dominic in the next installment.

I was lucky enough to get to read Love Her or Lose Her early via NetGalley, and after reading Fix Her Up, it would have been hard to wait two more weeks for this one!
While Rosie and Dominic were high school sweethearts, their marriage now consists of not talking until Tuesday nights (🔥). Rosie hits the end of her rope and decides to leave Dominic and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, but Dominic begs for a second chance. Agreeing to go to a woo-woo marriage counselor, Dominic and Rosie woke on their marriage by focusing on each other’s love languages and completing the ridiculous (but productive) tasks their counselor gives them. Rosie needs words - and Dominic doesn’t really talk (except to say “my wife” way too many times). Can they make it?
I recommend reading Love Her or Lose Her as soon as you can! It’s sassy, snarky, steamy, and ends oh so sweetly - exactly what you need (and want) in a RomCom!

I was so excited to read Love Her or Lose her by Tessa Bailey the second in her Hot & Hammered series. I read Fix Her Up last year and really enjoyed Travis and Georgies’ story.

Love Her or Lose Her is about Rosie and Dom Vega, who met in middle school, fell in love, had insane chemistry and are now married. They survived military deployments but after several years, Rosie learned that turned out to be the easy part. Since Dominic returned almost 5 years ago their marriage and relationship, had gone from best friends to strangers. They live parallel lives only crossing over once a week, on Tuesday evenings. Rosie has had enough and wants more out of life and more for their marriage. So after packing her bags, she suggests the one thing she never thinks Dom will go for ... therapy.

They learn a lot about themselves and about each other during therapy. Can they be fixed in four sessions? Will it be enough to heal the hurt, or are they truly better off without each other?

Y’all, I wanted to love this book but there were a few things that just fell short.

The tension, seemed so over the top it was ridiculous. For me, it made it hard to connect with the characters. There was a lot of steamy sex scenes🔥. But I felt like that was all there was. I wanted a little more. These two have lived more than half their lives together, I wanted that. We got little snip-its, but it wasn’t enough to forge a connection with the characters.. Then the crazy therapist, he was too over the top. I think the same effect could have been achieved without making him a pot smoking, three way hippie. I did like the introduction of the 5 love languages, and looking at actions vs words and how important it is in any relationship. I don’t know, I think I just wanted (and was expecting) to like Rosie and Dominic more, and it fell a little flat.

Thank you Harper Collins and Avon books for an ARC copy to read and provide an honest review.

Okay, so I fell in LOVE with Fix Her Up, the first book in the Hot & Hammered Series. Which meant I was so excited for Love Her or Lose Her, especially because we met Rosie and Dominic in the previous book. This book was a damn journey. There are so many ups and downs, but the growth of both characters kept me completely enthralled. I've got to admit that I love a book with a good therapist, and Tessa Bailey wrote a really hilariously good one. Couples therapy for the Vega's is so eye opening, and I really enjoyed that. Sometimes we need that objective person to point things out to us that are right outside of our perspective. Rosie and Dominic kind of made me want to scream at certain points, because I felt like they shouldn't be that dense, but it is what it is. Overall, I enjoyed the second book is the Hot & Hammered Series, and I'm looking forward to the third!

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey is a sweet, sexy romance about a marriage on the rocks. And while I enjoyed it well enough, it wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for.

Tessa Bailey is a great author -- I’ve enjoyed many of her books. The writing in this one was still good, however, there were a few times that the dialogue made me cringe a bit. The way Dominic would talk to Rosie sometimes was off-putting, especially early on when he called her “honey girl”. I was not a fan of that nickname, but I will say that as the book went on it grew on me. I think that it was the crude way in which he spoke to her that was a turn off given the fact that they were supposed to be working on their marriage.

As I said, as the book progressed, a lot of things grew on me, Dominic being the main one. I had to warm up to him quite a bit, but when I finally did it was great. I liked Rosie from the beginning. She’s strong, driven, and was brave enough to demand more for herself. I do think that her communication could have been greatly improved, but other than that I found her to be very likeable.

I think the main reason that I’m not raving about this book has more to do with me and my preferences than it does the actual book. The reason I read romance is for the falling in love part. I love when two characters meet and then getting to experience the process of them falling in love. It’s my absolute favorite. So, reading about a couple who’s already married and then having to go through the trial and tribulations of saving their marriage wasn’t nearly as enjoyable to me. It found it to be much more stressful than the sweet beauty that is falling in love.

Eventually, that was also something that I was able to overlook, and I found things about the story that I enjoyed. And to top it off, the sexy scenes are plentiful and hot. If you’re looking for a book that will make you fan yourself, characters that you want to cheer for, and a sweet love story then you will enjoy this one.

Love Her or Lose Her is not your typical romance novel - meet, fall in love, live happily every after. Instead, it is a story about a married couple that loves each other, but have to re-find their love and spark. There is NO CHEATING, so don't worry - it's a pure love story about falling back in love with your spouse.

We first met Dominic and Rosie in Fix Her Up, but we didn't get to see much of their relationship. On paper, Dominic seems like the perfect husband - loyal, devoted, passionate, trust worthy, hard working. And his wife, Rosie, is clearly the center of his universe. But Dominic was struggling after serving for his country, and they slowly drifted apart.

After Rosie left, feeling like they fell out of love, Dominic realized that drastic action was needed to get back to the core of their story - their undeniable love. With the help of a somewhat unconventional marriage counselor, they find their way back to each other. This book may be the purest romance that I've read in a long while. It was sweet, touching, romantic, and the love was so genuine and honest and evident. A wonderful read.

Happily Ever After Redux!

Rosie and Dominic are middle school sweethearts who’s ever after is a bit off course of happy. They both love each other with a ferocity that often can’t be explored in a romance because so much of the story is spent getting the couple together, but here they’ve been together for most of their lives so that love is deep and strong...but their communication is not.

Because they have trouble communicating we still get some of the get to know you aspect but we also get to see more connection, steam, and emotion early in the story than in other romances. The ending was perfect and rewarding after the emotional journey of their HEA redux!

I absolutely adored Armie and how Dominic was willing to try even though it went against his nature. Bethany and Georgie were the perfect girl power support for Rosie while Stephen and Travis and their bickering was what Dominic needed to get out of his own head beyond therapy. And this IS a Tessa Bailey book so the steam and heat is next level making the whole journey even more satisfying!

I can’t wait for Bethany and Wes to go round and round next!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.

I was really excited to read this book because I loved Fix Her Up. Unfortunately this one fell short for me. I had a hard time believing someone could be on the verge of a divorce but still couldn’t keep her hands off of her husband. I struggled with that aspect through most of the story but I admit it got a little better as I went on. Bailey is a great author who writes fun stories and doesn’t shy away from the steam. I really loved more bits of Travis and Georgie in the story. I’m looking forward to the next installment in this story!

Steamy second chance romance? Sign me up.

For anyone who read Bailey's Fix Her Up last year, you probably remember Rosie and Dominic, the couple barely speaking to each other wondering if they still had a future. In Love Her or Lose Her, the spotlight is on the Vega's to see if they can save their marriage once and for all.

If you've read Bailey before, you probably know she's the Queen of Steam so definitely be sure you're cool with that if you plan to pick this one up (hell, that's one of the reasons I love her books, honestly). Dominic and Rosie are really interesting characters and their story and tension is one I loved reading and hoping for their second chance had me fully invested.

Highly recommend! And be sure to read Fix Her Up while you wait for this one to release in two weeks!

Tessa Bailey brought the heat!

This book was the perfect sequel to Fix Her Up. I can't wait for the third book!

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey is the second book in her Hot & Hammered series. This is the first book I've read by Bailey, and unfortunately, it didn't hit the mark for me. The utterly controlling hero, who has very little respect for and trust in his wife, made it a really terrible read for me, and sadly, his character just doesn't have the development it needs to make him redeemable in my eyes. I think the rise in highly erotic reads with dominant men are influencing books that are better as straight romantic comedies. Based on the blurb, I thought I was going to read a fun romance novel, where a couple struggling with their marriage finds a way to work through it together (or through legit counseling). This is the story I want to read! Instead, the author took a comedic approach to therapy, drafting a story about a pot-smoking therapist who uses...unusual tactics and makes a mockery of marriage and commitment. The therapist himself meddles in their relationship, making a bigger mess of things, and crosses the therapist/client line far too many times to make this story believable. While I did enjoy the diversity and feminism, I didn't enjoy much else. This might not have been a good read for me, but the writing is strong, so I do recommend it to someone who wants to read erotic romantic comedy.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.

Rosie and Dominic Vega are high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be anyway. Now Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with ten years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp.⁣
⁣
Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to-emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippy. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous—yet surprisingly helpful—assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret... and it could demolish everything”⁣
⁣
I was completely obsessed with “Fix Her Up” and have read it probably about three times already since April. When I saw that Rosie’s story was coming out I requested it immediately! And thank the book gods, aka @avonbooks and @netgalley, for sending this to my kindle! There needs to be more marriage romances out there. The work Rosie and Dom put in to fix their marriage was so heartwarming. I loved Dom’s POV and what he thought it meant to be a provider for Rosie. And I also loved the Guru, he was hilarious. Also, THE STEAM OMG. Just as good as the first! Tessa Bailey has quickly become an instant buy author for me and I cannot wait for Bethany and Wes’s story! ⁣

Oh how this broke my heart! I was not expecting the intense sadness I got reading this book. I loved the characters so much and was rooting for them from the very beginning. I loved watching them fall in love all over again. Tessa Bailey does it again!

3.5 to 4 stars
3.5 to 4 stars
I was interested in Rosie and Dominic after meeting them in Fix Her Up. They have been married for over ten years, but due to circumstances, their marriage has been slowly deteriorating. Rosie has recently developed some new friendships and has started to feel more empowered. She is tired of settling in her marriage, her dead-end job, and wants to finally go after her dreams of opening a catering business or restaurant.

Years ago Dominic returned from his time in the military a changed man. He now works construction. He has always been taught that the man's place was to provide and that will be enough to show how much he cares. He is the quiet, brooding type that feels deep but has trouble sharing. But he did not realize that intermittent bedroom connections and being the behind-the-scenes provider would not be enough for her.

He gets his wake up call when she leaves. And now he is a man on a mission trying to figure out how to make things right. But Rosie does not know everything. And neither of them were really communicating effectively. They were not speaking each other's love languages, but can a last-ditch trip to an unorthodox therapist make them realize what brought them together in the first place?

I really enjoyed the first half of the book and it was interesting that the characters were already married and trying to figure out how to fix a broken relationship. That part was really relatable. I admit that as it went on I got more frustrated though, mostly with Dominic. He was keeping a big secret and it was driving me crazy that he did not just spill the beans. I could understand due to his background why he approached things the way he did and I was glad he was starting to learn alternatives, but it got a bit repetitive. I honestly felt like shaking sense into the man so he would tell her everything and quit feeling so unworthy.

And there was something about the way their chemistry was just so over-the-top full of sexual tension and so volatile that kind of felt a bit forced to me in a couple that was having trouble even speaking to each other. But overall I truly felt like they belonged together and was rooting for them to get it all together. And it had good messages about really trying to communicate and understand your partner and to figure out what you both need to be happy and content.

This brings back the quirky characters from Fix Her Up and sets up a new story for one of her friends, Bethany. It looks like she might have met her match.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Let's hear it for the marriage in trouble trope!! A close trope sibling of a favorite of mine, the second chance romance. I really felt for Rosie when we were introduced to her in Fix Her Up. Her marriage to Dominic is crumbling, she's stuck in an unfulfilling mall retail job (been there) and she is yearning to go after her dream of opening her own restaurant. Anyone that's been in a long term relationship and has experienced it getting so tangled and knotted only to have it unravel and end will get major feels from this couple in trouble.

My biggest likes about this book is how couples therapy was utilized in the storytelling and the.....sex connection between MCs. That's right Ladies and Gentlemen, no surprise to anyone, Tessa Bailey writes amazing sexy times. The shared history of this couple only makes the physical part of their relationship more layered and important for character development and pushes the story forward. And it's really freakin' hot.

We get introduced to the next couple, and I'm really looking forward to the enemies to lovers trope that will for sure happen!

Rosie and Dominic Vega's marriage is over. The spark they shared since meeting in middle school has fizzled, despite their explosive sex life. Stuck in a rut they seem they will never recover from, Rosie does the unthinkable and leaves her husband... but she underestimates just how much Dominic is prepared to fight for their marriage...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love Her or Lose Her was the heartbreaking, tear inducing, and extremely sweet story about fighting for the one you love. Rosie and Dominic have a love for the ages, but after years of marriage and taking each other for granted, the unstoppable connection they once shared has changed and made them a shell of their former selves. Now, with their very future on the line, Rosie and Dominic are either going to find each other again, or be forced to walk away from each other for good... 

Rosie has had enough of the silence in her household. Where she and her husband once shared everything with each other, in recent years their interaction has shrunk to nothing... except for their once weekly sex sessions. Rosie loves Dominic, but she knows she deserves more than what their life has devolved to... like finally pursuing her dream of opening her own restaurant.

Dominic has always shown his love by taking care of his wife. For him, providing and protecting is his biggest responsibility, and he takes it very seriously. But, the problem is that he does all of his taking care of her in secret, while she has no idea of his commitment to her happiness and well being. And when Rosie finally lets him know just how far their marriage has fallen apart, it may be too late to repair the damage they have already let happen...

This book had such a great plot and I absolutely loved the characters. Rosie and Dominic really love each other, despite the fact that their marriage is in ruins. They had a sizzling attraction, and no matter what else was broken, they have always fallen back on their super hot sex life. But when the sex is missing the substance, their hope of reconciling for good may never happen. 

Rosie was a strong and talented woman who needed the push given by her friends to take her life into her own hands. Dominic was a very sweet and attentive husband who is closed off and never shows his emotions. They were both great characters, but they did disappoint me a little with the fact that their relationship seemed to mature only the smallest bit and they still seemed to rely on their sexual attraction way more than they honesty and companionship they both obviously needed to focus on. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

I don't know if I can love this story more than I already do. Of all the characters in these two books of this series, I mostly relate to Rosie. Seeing her relationship with Dominic and how my own marriage has some (definitely not all) similarities has been eye opening. I took so much more than I had expected away from reading this story. I absolutely loved it. The story line is relatable for anyone who is or has been married. The characters are so well developed and amazing.

But I have to say Travis had me laughing a ton in this book. He will always be my favorite.

Its' been so long since I have read a Tessa Bailey book, I don't know what I was waiting for. Love Her or Lose Her is book two in the Hot and Hammered Series. Love Her or Lose Her can be read as a standalone, but in my personal opinion, it is much better if you have read the first book in the series, Fix Her Up, first. Rosie and Dominic have been together since junior high, physically, but being together physically isn't everything in a relationship.
Lover Her or Lose Her, is a Rom -Com. The characters, all of the them are well developed and compliment each other in such a way that makes this a easy and enjoyable read.
If you like Rom-Com, second chance romance or small town love stories, this is definitely a book and series for you to read.