Was super excited for Bethany's story and Tessa Baily didn't disappoint! This is a great series, and it's hard to find another like it.

I am so sad that I didn't love this one. Tessa Bailey has always been one of my favorites. But this one just fell flat for me and I wasn't even able to finish it. I really couldn't get into the characters or the plot. But I'm not giving up on her!

I am such a sucker for enemies to lovers and Tessa Bailey does it like nobody else. It was funny, sexy, and adorable all rolled up into one fun time. Highly recommend!

A fun enemies to lovers romp. I definitely recommend reading these books in order, but I didn't feel lost and confused reading it as a standalone.

Bethany and Wes. I know the spin off revolves around Bethany because she is a sibling to Georgia but lets be real here because Wes and his niece Laura are the starts of this book. Wes is seven years younger than Bethany. He's had to start his life with a new chapter raising his niece while his sister gets her life together. Bethany learns to give in and let go. Wes is a tough talking cowboy who seems to handle any situation he is given. Sweet and great banter.

It was an enjoyable read, Sexy, fun, hot scenes :), alpha possessive hero type, quirky heroine. Quick and entertaining read!

I would have DNF’d this, but I was on a road trip listening to the audiobook and didn’t have another book cued up.

It was awful with too frequent sex scenes that are truly cringeworthy. Words for reproductive anatomy are ones men use, and I don’t understand why a female author would choose to write from the male gaze. It seems like a lot of internalized misogyny. Having to listen to them voiced by a female narrator had my 22-year-old daughter and me laughing out loud in the car.

Like Book 1 of the series, this one features immature, unlikeable characters and a very shallow plot line. This is the last book of Bailey’s I’ll ever read. I truly don’t understand why she’s so popular.

Bethany and Wes are getting exactly what they deserve.


Insecurities, inconsistencies, and life have not been kind to either of them but Tools of
Engagement has definitely brought about change.

As the final couple in this series, they had a lot to live up to but they handled it wonderfully- well, at first spitefully. Lol. Their antagonistic flirt off is the only way to go! Fall in love with these two while they fall for themselves and each other.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Y’all, this is one of my extremely overdue Netgalley ARC’s that I am absolutely kicking myself over. I read Tessa Bailey’s “Fix Her Up” on Netgalley, and she instantly became one of my favorite writers. I was dying to find out if this was just a one off chance, or if she’d prove herself to be tried and true. I missed the opportunity to get the second novel in this series on Netgalley, but did manage to snag novel #3, “Tools of Engagement.”

Since I missed a step in this series, I was meeting Wes for the very first time, and because it had been so many years since reading the first novel, it felt like I was meeting Bethany all over again. What I love about Bailey’s writing is, hands down, her characters. Right from the first chapter they were both so fleshed out and real to me. The novel only grew on their strengths and weaknesses as the plot served to highlight their well deserved wins, and timely shortcomings.

This novel is written with dual points of view, and every time we got to read from Wes’ perspective I kept mentally repeating to myself, “This is a man written by a woman.” He was so funny, honest, blunt, and an unashamed flirt while also being so sensitive to Bethany, and intuitively knowing exactly what she needed in any given scenario. He is the type of man women dream of, and Bailey absolutely delivered.

Lately I’ve developed a bad habit of skim reading. I don’t skim everything I read, but I find myself feeling exasperated and bored by internal monologues more often than not. I realized while reading this novel that my eyes would stray over a few lines, and I’d internally admonish myself before going back up to read them in full. This was the first romance centered novel in months that I read every single line, and loved it all!

The characters were so complex that they weren’t overthinking or overanalyzing the same problems over and over again. Each time we were allowed into their headspace the characters were growing, changing, and learning to adapt to new situations as they arise. I really connected with Bethany and her mental battle to strive for perfection in everything. While I don’t have the same mental health struggles she does, the way they consumed her life and relationships was something I could relate to.

It was so beautiful to see a character like Wes, who had grown up in foster care, learn what selfless love really is through his niece. This element of his life and character made him more grounded and relatable, and his niece became a fixture in this story all on her own.

The plot itself was entertaining enough to keep me engaged. While the character development took the forefront of this story for me, the plot kept us moving forward and continued to challenge our characters. Just like Wes and Bethany were learning how to renovate a house together (while competing with her brother on a television show), they were also learning how to renovate their lives to include one another.

This story was funny, sexy, community driven, and tender hearted. I am so happy I not only grabbed a copy of this novel from Netgalley, but I finally sat down to read it. Bailey has continued to write more romances after finishing this series, and I can’t wait to sit down and get caught up on what she’s written so far, as well as anything she creates in the future.

Sweet. Sexy. Funny. Relatable. I really adored this series from Tessa Bailey, every couple has felt so true and just like someone you want to know. Bethany and Wes were definitely a pair that pushed every button for the other. It was a love/hate extravaganza, but it also touched on something so many of us struggle with - the need to seem like we have it all together. So watching this couple confront those fears and challenges together was so fulfilling. Throw in Wes’ dirty talk, a precious niece and one neurotic Bethany fighting to let go and you’ve got Tools of Engagement.

After the first two books in this series, I was not the most excited about Bethany's book. The other two were so great and she was kinda meh in those books but I loved this so much and Wes was such a great foil for her. Loved, loved, loved this whole series!

This book was so much fun. As a lover of HGTV shows I never thought I would like a romance in this setting but I did. I am also not a big fan of the younger man/older woman trope. Usually because the author hammers it in that there is an age difference. Glad to say this wasn't the case here.

Tessa Bailey has yet to disappoint. Out of every book of hers, I've yet to dislike a character. Each book provides the perfect amount of insight into each character while still letting the reader develop along with those character. She also is a master at giving her readers just a peek at the previous characters in her series so readers are able to build an even bigger relationship with those characters.
Tools of Engagement is a book that provides both the warm fuzzies that any romance novel should provide, while also adding more depth and development. Bethany and Wes have the best banter of any of Bailey's characters and provided a bit of comedic relief. Bailey also incorporated a deep look towards anxiety and the ups and downs of real life.
Read this book. You won't be disappointed.

I loved this entire series and was so sad to have it come to a close. Tessa has quickly become one of my favorite authors (which all started with this series) but I am happy to report that it went out on a high note, with another amazing 5 star read in the Hot & Hammered series!

This book was fantastic! Loved getting to read before publishing date and will be recommending on Instagram, goodreads, and Amazon.

Tessa Bailey aka The Queen of Romance does it again! I adored "Tools of Engagement." A enemies to lovers forced proximity romance with a cowboy? You can't go wrong. Similar to "Hook, Line, and Sinker," the slow burn is worth the wait. Tessa Bailey does not disappoint.

Tools of Engagement is the third installment in the Hot & Hammered series. It follows Bethany as she attempts to strike out on her own after working at her family's business. Her brother doesn't have faith that she can flip a house, but Wes (her annoyingly attractive foreman) thinks she can do anything she sets her mind to.

Bethany resonated with me so much from her anxiety to her over-thinking to her determination to do it all on her own without ever asking for help. She's fixated on showing a picture-perfect image to the world and crumbling beneath the pressure this places on her shoulders. I loved how she celebrated the small victories of learning to let herself be less than perfect, and the way Wes learned to anticipate what she needed in those anxious moments so that he could help her weather them.

I'd read the other two books in this series last year on audio, and I'm so glad to have finally read this last one. This is such a strong series from Bailey that delivers on the humor, heart, and heat all the way through!

I am a big fan of Tessa Bailey and the steamy but fun romances she creates. Tools of Engagement is no different and is my favorite of the Hot and Hammered series. It's very light and enjoyable but also provides a great amount of angst as the two main characters, Bethany especially, do not like each other. As they work together on a project, their relationship begins to grow closer and closer. There are some phrases that made me physically cringe that I do not enjoy reading in romance books and tend to take me out of the story, I overall enjoyed this one!

Tessa Bailey's series is delightful. You get the best of both worlds as there is comedy and drama and enough spice to keep you satisfied. I will always recommend Bailey's books because they don't disappoint, this book included. As the last in the series, it all ties together nicely and each HEA is perfect.

Tessa Bailey is an automatic read for me - I love her characters and the unique personalities they have. This one was not my favorite from her but by no means was it bad. I give it 4 stars.