I was a tad concerned that I would be a bit confused because I had not read Tessa Bailey's first novel in this series. This was not at all the case. The author did a fantastic job of allowing me, the reader, to understand that there was a bit of a back story between other characters, and perhaps a future story to come with others. I enjoyed that. This invested me to the characters briefly so that I would come back for me. Good Move, Ms. Bailey.

I was captivated within the first chapter of the story. We meet Rosie who finds that she is unfulfilled with both her job and her marriage. We follow along as she goes after her own dreams that have been put on the back burner.

Dominic is the husband who seems to be not fulfilling Rosie. He goes to crazy lengths, at least they seem crazy to him, to make sure Rosie comes back to him.

I quite enjoyed this read. It was quite steamy at times and there is brief language present. It was thought provoking and instilled in me a desire to search for something I am passionate about such as Rosie is.

Thank you Net Galley, HarperCollins, and Avon books for a chance to read an advanced copy of this book. As a reviewer and reader I would like to state that these are my own and I was not influenced by any outside sources.

Most romance novels are about the beginning of a relationship. Some are second chance romances where a couple is reuniting after years apart. Very few romance novels are set in the middle of a relationship. That's exactly where Love Her or Lose Her is set. It's set amidst the chaos of relationship gone bad.

Rosie and Dom are childhood sweethearts whose relationship has fallen apart. The crumbling of their marriage has happened gradually for Rosie, but is a surprise to Dom. Dom didn't realize Rosie was unhappy. Rosie is ready to walk away, but Dom is willing to do whatever it takes to save his marriage.

What I loved about Love Her or Lose Her was the journey it took me on. It's a story about remembering why you fell in love with someone, figuring out where things broke down along the way, and learning from your mistakes. Dom and Rosie were unique characters going through a made up situation, and yet I could see the truth in their story. It was eye-opening at times to see what Rosie and Dom were going through. There was blame, lack of communication, poor communication, actions, lack of actions, frustration, longing, anger...and yet there was a whole lot of love. Once they opened themselves up and communicated (with the help of a therapist) there was learning and understanding. It's easy to blame others for a situation without examining our part in it. I loved how Tessa Bailey was able to show this within a relationship. The fact that she was able to do that while adding humor to a very serious story was amazing.

While I loved this book, I do have to admit there were a few things that could have been done better. One was that Dom's nickname for Rosie. He uses honey girl a lot. Honey girl is an awkward nickname. It's like an odd combination of honey and baby girl or something. It made me cringe every time I read it. The second thing was that Dom's back story could have been explored more in-depth. He shut down when he came back from war and it felt like that was barely touched on. The last thing was the POC representation. It was weak, to be honest -- just mostly food that Rosie cooked and the color of her body. It would have been nice to have more or better representation.

Overall, Love Her or Lose Her was a sweet story about two people on the brink of divorce finding their way back to each other.

Rosie and Dominic are middle school sweethearts who've lost the *emotional* spark in their marriage. If you read the first book in this series, Fix Her Up (or as my friend referred to it, "the one with the aroused clown," you'll remember Rosie (Zumba and the Just Us Club), and her troubled marriage. I say emotional spark because the physical connection is very much still present, at least on Tuesdays, which is their designated sexy times day. But this Tuesday Rosie has had enough. Instead of letting Dominic silently ravish her, she pulls out her suitcase and leaves him, ready to end the marriage. After some intense conversations, Rosie gives Dom an ultimatum: last ditch couples' therapy with the most woo-woo, hippy-dippy therapist she can find on Long Island. Armie delivers the woo-woo in spades (prolonged eye contact, making each other laugh with mouths full of marshmallows, building a campsite for an orgy (???)). Also he tells them not to have sex, the one thing they still do successfully, so they can focus on communicating again (cue the tortured glances and desperate phone calls).

I am a huge sucker for people going to therapy and processing their feelings. Dom has a lot of trouble verbally communicating his feelings, because of his upbringing and his experiences in the service, and doesn't want to get "brownie points" for all the little things he does for his wife without her knowledge. Rosie desperately wants words of affirmation and GUESS WHAT THEY TALK ABOUT LOVE LANGUAGES. Obsessed, not only because it leads to Rosie washing her husband's car to show him how much she loves him/drive him wild in her yoga pants. They come to realize they both have a role to play in keeping their marriage healthy and happy. Of course, even as Dom starts to let down his walls and communicate more openly with Rosie, he's still holding something back...

Tessa Bailey is known for her dirty talk and explicit scenes, and this book is no exception. I really liked that this book features a married couple doing the work to put their relationship back together. If that's something you're into, you might also enjoy Sarah MacLean's The Day of the Duchess. There's some very good groveling in this book, as well as sneaky sweet romancing (I love a man who anticipates his partner's needs). One thing that stood out to me as missing was the familial connection. I loved the scenes in Fix Her Up with the Castles, and I wish we had met Dom's parents, at least via phone. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to purchasing a physical copy, and the next in the series.

***I received an ARC from NetGalley and am posting my honest review.***

4.5 stars

So, so, so good! And steamy.

Rosie and Dominic were emotional, frustrating, and so in love. Keeping secrets and not communicating are never good for a marriage, and I felt like I was right there with Rosie and Dominic, being frustrated right along with them. Tessa Bailey is becoming a fast favorite author of mine!

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this second installment in Bailey's Hot and Hammered series quite as much as the first book, Fix Her Up, but it was still a fun, quick read that I think a lot of contemporary romance readers will likely enjoy. Love Her or Lose Her follows a married couple (unusual for a romance novel!), Rosie and Dominic, who, despite a deep love for one another that began when they were childhood sweethearts, find themselves at a point in their marriage where they're only truly able to connect in the bedroom; otherwise, their communication has completely broken down. Rosie in particular has been feeling the strain, and kicks off the novel by leaving Dominic, as she's feeling unappreciated and unsatisfied both professionally and in their relationship. The plot of the novel revolves around Rosie and Dominic's attempts to reconnect through a hippie version of last-ditch couples counseling Rosie initially proposes as a challenge to Dominic, thinking there's no way he'll let his guard down enough to try therapy, and Rosie's efforts to start her own restaurant, which she's been dreaming about her entire life.  We also get to see glimpses of Georgie and Travis, the main characters from Fix Her Up, as well as what's presumably the setup for the third book in the series, a meet-cute between Bethany and new-in-town, cowboy hat-wearing Wes.

On the positive side, this eARC really saved me when I found out that my flight had been delayed for 4 hours and was stuck at the airport, finding myself not quite in the right mood for any of the physical books I'd brought with me but looking for a fun contemporary romance. It's a quick read, Rosie is a likable main character, and Bailey's writing is snappy and funny. I continue to enjoy the girl-power aspect of this series that centers around the women in their community forming the "Just-Us League," a group designed for female support and empowerment, and how Georgie, Rosie, and Bethany lean on each other and have each other's backs.

On the negative side, I wasn't so much a fan of Dominic, and I felt that there was a lot of his backstory that wasn't explored thoroughly enough for me to root for him and Rosie as a couple. He was also very possessive, and there was a definite feeling of him reinforcing traditional gender roles in certain aspects of their relationship, which very much did not work for me. The actions of all the male characters in this book were often very unappealing; one scene in particular, when Rosie and her friends are planning a girls' night out in the city, and their love interests are so insecure and upset by this that they follow them all the way to New York to exhibit possessive behavior and deny them a night out with their girlfriends, really rubbed me the wrong way. I'll still definitely look to read more Tessa Bailey in the future, as I did enjoy Fix Her Up quite a bit, but overall I don't think this was quite the right book for me.

I received an eARC of Love Her or Lose Her from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This storyline is definitely more emotional & digs a bit deeper than the first book in this series. It still delivered with the steam & I really found myself rooting for this couple. I think I’m most excited for the next book in this series, though.

How cute is this cover? I am familiar with Tessa Bailey’s work. She writes sexy romance, light on the drama, heave on the sexy. Love Her or Lose Her is no exception to this. This book continues the story we saw began on Fix Her Up with Dominic and Rosie. We saw that Rosie was unhappy with her marriage and finally decided enough was enough. Love Her or Lose Her takes you on the journey of Dom and Rosie remembering why they fell in love with each other in the first place - and learning more about who they are and need as lovers. The story has it’s funny momenta with its secondary characters, a bit of drama, and some hot times between the couple. I definitely recommend this book! Tessa ALWAYS know how to write a good, fun, light, read! ❤️
Love her or Lose Her comes out in January 2020!

5 Truth Telling Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free
People sometimes dismiss romance books as all fluff, sexy talk and simple stories. That there is no real "There, There". Oh, how very wrong those who assume they know. Authors who take the time to create, highlight issues, and share outcomes dive into subjects that span all sorts of real-life challenges. They do it with a deft hand and draw audiences who are better after reading experiences they can relate to and possibly see themselves in the outcomes.

Not every romance book is with millionaires, oops, billionaires or hiding royalty or rockstars. Those books are fantastic and I have been a huge reader of all of them. The enjoyment of the variety of different types of genre is a huge bonus. Even under the umbrella of the books I mentioned, all had a core and lessons to learn.

Tessa Bailey, a favorite author, took a risk with this book...at least she thought she did. She mentioned she must have been nuts to write a romance about a married couple thinking about divorcing and on the surface, I would agree...

BUT HOLY COW!!!! I can testify this book was one of the most romantic I have read...and it could be due to the fact, I was married for many many years...and I was able to understand exactly what was presented and how important the journey Ms. Baliey was taking us on.

As the blurb tells us, we have this couple, Rosie and Dominic Vega, who were high school sweethearts who married, he goes to fight in the desert and then he comes home. We meet them after they have been married for years...and a pattern has developed.

There is no problem with the chemistry...they are in sync on all levels with that. No, there is another issue that is equally or even more important, they seem to have lost the way to communicate with each other.

Honestly, this is all you need to dive into this book, I promise. If you treat yourself to this read, you will go through so many feels...and the sexy times are totally Tessa Bailey Certified. Dirty Talking, Swoony Moments, and Chemistry Off the Charts.

Oh, and Huge Plus...The couple is older than 21. So go forth and get this book. You may see couples you know caught in a pattern they need to break. You may learn a new way to reach out to your loved one and understand how to show your love for them in a way they understand better...or even more telling, a way to talk about how you may wish to have love shown to you.

I Say Thank You, Tessa Bailey, for taking that risk and writing this book.

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

*Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review*

Tessa Bailey is my new go to for romance! Such a great balance of love, humor, heartbreak and sexy times!! She’s my new romance queen!

I was so excited to finally get Rosie and Dominic’s story!!! I’ve never read a romance about a married couple and I was totally here for it! It was so different knowing there was a past and slowly getting glimpses into it. I loved falling in love with them and knowing the past, present and glimpsing the future. Such a breath of fresh air in my romance reads!

Rosie was so relatable in her fears and insecurities. I totally related to her job and wanting more. She is totally different than me but I was able to relate to her as a wife and a woman and that was awesome. Loved her so much!

Dominic was like AMAZING. Even his flaws were hot! Haha I just really loved his love and his dedication to Rosie. I really enjoyed reading his perspective and I just fell easily in love with him. Swoon worthy!!!!

While I usually go for historical romance, I received access to Love Her or Lose her as an ARC and I’m so glad I did. I started with the first, Fix Her Up, and was so enchanted by the writing and the story, I couldn’t wait to read the next in the series. Now I have to wait a year for the next one? I can’t handle it! Absolutely realistic characters with delightfully rough scenes, I absolutely recommend this romance, even if you prefer historical.

Being the person that I am, I did not realize that this book was in a series when I started reading. Luckily, the book can be read as a stand alone book even though a couple of the supporting characters are from the first book. For me, I just wanted a bit more of the backstory from the first book but it didn’t diminish the experience of this book.

Tessa Bailey writes about a pivotal point in romances as the main couple in this book have been together forever but aren’t present in their marriage. The tenderness of the way Bailey approaches this topic but hits at the rawness of emotions between the characters is done well.

If you want a tender romance with well done smutty moments, this book is definitely worth the pick up. I will say, that this book does depict a dominant male with a submissive woman trope that may not be for everyone. I think this book does show the emotions of the dominant male though.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Avon via NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rosie and Dominic began dating in middle school, got married straight our to high school, and have been together for ten more years since then. In the meantime, Dominic, a former Marine, did a stint in Afghanistan. But when he came home, something seemed a bit off in the relationship, and that blip has grown instincts an abyss in the off our years since. Now, Rosie is determined to take her own happiness into her hands: she refuses to remain in what appears to be a loveless marriage (even if the sex is off the charts). Dominic refuses to let her go without a fight and agrees to attend couples therapy with Rosie. There, they start to learn about love languages and how they both give and receive love with different preferences. But will that be enough to save their marriage?

I loved the love languages aspect, as I fully adhere to its relevance in relationships (and not just limited to romantic relationships either). However, Dominic’s possessiveness is a bit off-putting. Rosie doesn’t mind it, and she even admits that that old-fashioned notion and feeling of being so coveted excites her. Obviously that is not /my/ love language.

Diverse reads: Both Rosie and Dominic are Latinx

**Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers via NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review**

I don't know why I ever doubted Tessa Bailey, this was just as good (if not better) than Fix Her Up. I was skeptical about a love story between a couple who was already married but I'm not going to lie this one even got me with the tears by the end. It was emotional, swoony, hot, and funny and I couldn't ask for more in a romance. Definitely a must read for any romance fan.

This book started out by breaking my heart.

I mean, my heart ached in a way I don't know that I've ever experienced so early in a book. It usually takes me a while to attach to characters, to buy-in to the relationship they're building. But there's something about the way Tessa Bailey has written Dominic and Rosie that allowed them into my heart immediately. And they bruised the heck out of it.

It felt so real. One of the reasons I typically shy away from books about married couples is because I know first-hand how difficult marriage can be. I don't want to read about it because I'm living it. But at the same time, reading about it resonates with me. This is likely why my heart attached to them so easily, and why it felt that pain so vividly.

It's also likely why my heart stayed along for every beautiful, bittersweet moment of their reconciliation. Y'all, is there anything more sexy than a man consumed with devotion for his woman? The sort of all-consuming passionate -- desperate love that takes your breath away? That's what it's like for Dominic and I can't even tell you all the ways it made my heart flutter. I loved his love. So. So much.

This is a fairly heavy storyline, but I appreciated the bits of lightness sprinkled throughout. The time spent with their unconventional (and yet lovable) hippy marriage therapist were some of my favorite moments. It somehow manages to be hilarious and thoughtful at the same time. I also loved getting to spend some time with Georgie and Travis, and for me, the set-up between Bethany and Wes were some of my favorite moments of the book (talk about a couple of scene-stealers!).

Overall it felt pretty balanced between emotional and lighthearted with a pretty hefty helping of heat along the way. Were there moments where I wanted to give one or the other of them a good shake? God. Yes. I spent some time shaking my head and cringing away from my kindle for sure. But over all? I really enjoyed Rosie and Dominic's love story and I cannot wait for more Hot & Hammered! ~ 4.5 Stars

This is the second book in the Hot and Hammered series. Love Her or Lose Her features Dominic and Rosie - high school sweethearts who are at an impasse in their 10 year marriage. Things have gone stale and both partners rarely talk to one another. I enjoyed reading a romance that had to do with an established couple, trying to work out their differences and relearn what makes their partners great. I thought Tessa Bailey did a great job of showing the ways that marriages become stale after so much time together. This books also brought some major steam between Dominic and Rosie. I can't wait to read the next book feature Wes and Bethany. The teasers in this book were great!

I liked this book overall. It did get a little too graphic for me so I did some skimming of the bedroom (and kitchen and night club) scenes, which I hadn't expected based on the cover. But I did like that the characters actually had some depth, worked through real life issues, and grew through the book. And I'm a total sucker for second chance romances.

1 star
Marriage in trouble tropes are not for me. I just dont care for them. On top of that I didnt care for either Dominic or Rosie.

As soon as I heard Tessa Bailey was writing a sequel for her book Fix Her Up, I got excited because I loved her first book. And this one I think I actually liked a lot more! I think romance novels with marital problems are unique and fun to read if your married. The couple felt real and had real issues that I felt are relatable. I was pleased on how much I liked it!

5 Team Vega Stars ⭐

I can't express how touched I felt while reading this book. This was a second chance romance at its best. It was poignant, it was funny, heart-warming and so so sexy. It was simply magic.

It's very easy for long term relationships to become stagnant. We can become complacent with our partner's wants and needs; we get too comfortable. And this is the situation we find Rosie and Dominic Vega in when we first meet them in 'Love Her or Lose Her'.

Rosie is done; her dreams have dissolved and she can no longer bear just existing in a loveless marriage. So she finds the courage to leave.

"She wanted to comb through the last handful of years and hurl every nuance of her pain at him."

Shattered and confused as to why Rosie would leave, Dominic had thought he was being a good husband. He'd provided for his wife by working hard, ensuring that their weekly session of sex had kept her satisfied, so what had he missed?

Unfortunately along the way they had forgotten the basic fundamentals; communication and affection. Now doubt and discontentment clouds their love.

"You really thought I wouldn't take a chance - any chance - to get you back?"

His voice roughened.

"Fuck, Rosie. You can't be serious."

With the help of a hippie, weed smoking marriage counsellor, he puts them back on course. A new path in reconnecting and rediscovering why they actually fell in love in the first place. I will say that these sessions were the highlight for me. Oh lord the feels and laughs.... and I appreciated the time and effort it took for these two find their way back to each other.

Tessa Bailey created this amazing couple who were relatable, flawed like so many of us, yet pure in their love. It was a lovely reminder that there's always hope ❤️

I didn’t think I would enjoy a marriage in trouble romance, but boy am I glad to be proven wrong! The love story between Rosie & Dominic is so sweet and real and just lovely. Dominic is a secret cinnamon roll of a character, whose desire to provide the best life for his wife ended up with him setting unrealistic standards for himself and carrying around these secret feelings of shame and guilt. I was thrilled to see the couple visit a marriage counselor and actively try to work on their relationship. Their story was hot, satisfying, and crazy emotional. Definitely recommend it!