Cover Image: Tools of Engagement

Tools of Engagement

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Member Reviews

So, in theory, I should love this book. Tessa Bailey was recommended to me by one of my friends. We both love Jasmine Guillory, and she told me that Tessa Bailey reminded her a lot of her. I was so excited to read this, but I was a little disappointed. Every description of the characters was rooted in their physical attributes. I wanted them to have another layer, but it just wasn't there. It was the perfect read to escape reality, but I don't know that I'll try another book by Tessa Bailey.

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What can I say about this book? It’s glorious. I am not always into cowboys these days but Cowboy Wes relentlessly coming for the (supposed but not really at all) Ice Queen Bethany? This more than worked for me. I looooved these two together.

While this book is extremely hot, as all Tess Bailey books are, these characters are also uniquely wounded and working through their own insecurities and struggles. Both of them, for different reasons, are looking for a place to stay, to belong, and to be safe and honest. And they find that in each other. For me, this is why I read romance. I love feeling feelings. I’m a big ol’ feelings addict. Feelings, feelings, feelings. Wes and Bethany gave me big feelings.

Also (I guess it’s because I’m getting “older”?) but I’m really into the older woman with the younger man…thing at the moment. Of course, any age-gap romance cannot work with any icky power differential. No go. But that’s no issue here. And, personally, I prefer a non-HUGE gap in my age-gap reads, but that’s strictly a me thing, obviously. Wes and Bethany are seven years apart, if you’re curious.

So yeah. Hot. Funny. Emotional. Loved this book.

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Tools of Engagement, the third book in Tessa Bailey’s Hot & Hammered series, is a witty and sweet rom-com. It begins as Bethany decides to venture out on her own house- flipping endeavor instead of staging for her family’s business. Wes, in a great Renee Zellweger moment (I love this reference in the book!), joins Bethany. When her story and the family drama catch a producer’s ear, Bethany finds herself in a reality tv competition against her brother.

I enjoyed Bethany and Wes’s love story. Their teasing and flirting were a great build-up to a sexy romance. Between their witty, teasing banter and their strong connection, the chemistry was palpable. I like that, as they each deal with personal issues, they are a great support to each other.

Stepping out on her own forces Bethany to face her fears. She is a perfectionist who stresses about what others think of her. She never likes to be anything less than exceptional, and it is shown in her work and her appearance. But Bethany deals with insecurity, anxiety, and fear of rejection. Can she succeed on her own? What will people think of her if she fails? Bethany spends a lot of her time keeping up appearances, and Wes is one of the few who see through her facade.

Wes deals with his own issues like taking responsibility for his young niece after his sister takes a “break” from parenting. A young, single man in a new town, Wes must juggle the challenges of caring for a five-year-old while working for Bethany. He is an honorable, if cocky, man with a wicked sense of humor.

Tools of Engagement is a fun and sexy romantic comedy with great characters and an interesting story. Though it’s the third book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone. Thanks so much to Netgalley and Avon for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

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Such a fun book! The banter between Wes and Bethany was top notch. Love the sassiness of Bethany even though she is very insecure. The way Wes helps Bethany with her insecurity was very clever and not clinical. Wes and his new role as uncle, this was majorly endearing. The Just Us League was another clever addition to the book. I have not read the first two but I will be picking them up based on this one. Great read to boost your mood and to show that even though you have insecurities you can make it through. Oh and I need to add...STEAMY!

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Thank you Avon Books for the Advanced Reader Copy of Tools of Engagement! Wes and Bethany's story was nothing short of amazing! True Tessa Bailey fashion, I could not put this one down!

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I liked the story and thought Bailey did a good job developing the back stories of both main characters' insecurities - her sex scenes are always a bit much for me, though.

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I think this is my fav of the series. I really loved the dynamic between Bethany and Wes. Their mutual barbs were spot on and always held a jovial and lighthearted tone. There were plenty of laugh out loud and tender moments too. I thought the reality show was a bit lame at first but I'll give it a pass as it helped to flush out Bethany's character development even if it was only in a minor way. As always the heat level was top notch, something I've grown to appreciate with Tessa's novels. I'd recommend this.

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It's no secret I'm a big Tessa fan and I was so looking forward to this book. It had the typical heat that you expect from one of her books and I really feel like this was a great end to this series. I really enjoyed watching Bethany grow and find herself. She opened herself to her flaws, as terrifying as that was for her. I liked Wes also, he matured really quick due to having to raise his niece. I did adore Laura, I thought she was adorable. Overall, I enjoyed the book but I felt at times it moved too quickly. I would very much recommend the series to a friend!

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This story definitely breezed by faster than the previous two--still just as spicy! The age gap between Wes and Bethany was a cute joke throughout, but didn't have much impact as it could have (though that may have been just Bailey's personal choice). I might have liked a little more insight into how Wes's position as a temp parent sort of equalized him to Bethany who seems to be a strong, independent woman, but is actually weighed down by her insecurities.

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Bethany Castle has it all: looks, smarts, successful and driven and as the stager for her family’s house flipping business –an eye for design. She’s gone so far as to push other women and give them self-esteem boosts with a weekly get-together to celebrate success, provide support and encourage growth – she's ticking forward on all fronts. Except, it’s a lie. She’s desperately afraid of people knowing she’s not always ‘together’ or overthinks everything with confidence that is low and a lack of interest in men, mostly because she doesn’t want them to see she’s a fraud.

But then there’s Wes: a former rodeo cowboy he works for her brother, and has always been attracted to Bethany. But he’s also got issues: taking care of his niece while his half-sister gets herself together – he's determined to giveeLaura every bit of stability he never had as a child. He’s attracted to Bethany, but when she and Steven split over her starting her own flip from top to bottom – Wes leaves to help her.

What do you get with chemistry that is off the charts, a child who calls the heroine Elsa because of her coloring, two headstrong people and a woman who spends less time overthinking when Wes is around because he has confidence in her? You get a swiftly moving, fast-paced contest, for an HGTV-Like station, pitting her and her brother against one another – with all of the associated missteps and mishaps, and a bit of drama from Wes’ sister, the ‘stability’ for Laura, and Bethany finally learning to ask for help.

Each book in this series has something to love – but the best of all was Bethany’s growth and Wes’ patience, with plenty of a little girl finding a ‘forever place’ and two mommies – all in a few hundred pages. Bailey dealt with sensitive issues, bringing them to life and light with plenty of opportunity for everyone to understand, appreciate and then cheer them on.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibilty.

Review first appeared at <a href=”http://iam-indeed.com/tools-tessa-bailey/<a> I am, Indeed </a>

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If you liked the first two books, you'll probably like this one. I didn't love this story. I felt that the reality show aspect was glossed over. I wish we got to see more of the house flip and show. This book hit on some difficult topics such as anxiety, perfectionism, and child guardianship.

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Hands down, this was my favorite of the Hot & Hammered series. I enjoyed Wes and Bethany's stories as individuals and as a couple, which is something that I always look for in a good romance. The relationship between Wes and his niece, Laura, was incredibly adorable. I related to Bethany on so many levels, particularly her struggle with being a perfectionist and a people-pleaser. I really enjoyed getting to see her personal growth as the story developed.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Wes and Bethany was set up well in Book 2 and their great banter continued into this one. The tension between them sizzled off the page and it was so satisfying when they finally got together. There were still a few moments that had me rolling my eyes and that I found a bit *too* cheesy, and unfortunately the ending made things feel like it was going too quickly for my taste.

If you've enjoyed the rest of this series, I think you'll really like this one - look for it on September 22!

4.5/5 stars
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Tessa Bailey is a hit-or-miss author for me, and I was really hoping this would be a home run! Unfortunately, the main characters were less than stellar and the romance didn't feel mature or interesting for me.

My main issue centered around the heroine and her unrealistic expectations. And I do mean UNREALISTIC. I don't know much about home improvement, but I think pretty much anyone who has watched a few HGTV shows should know that someone who stages a house has entirely different skills from someone who remodels a house. If you've never remodeled a house in your life and have only ever staged one after the remodel is complete, do you think you could take a house and flip it without any help from someone who has, say, done it before? No? Me neither. So why the heroine was such a spoiled child from Day 1 about the whole endeavor really didn't make any sense. She insisted she head a home flipping project, and when her family wouldn't let her without partnering with her brother, she decided she'd show them and do it herself, without them. Except she couldn't really do it on her own, so I'm not sure what point she was trying to prove with her shenanigans. It all felt very juvenile. Her personality also just didn't jive with me. She came off as very insecure, and it wasn't attractive. Unfortunately, she didn't really improve throughout the story, which would have been needed in order to redeem her character.

Then there was the romance. I am familiar with how Tessa Bailey writes, and normally I love the sexuality involved. However, I'm not sure if it was the cover that threw me off (being all cutesy) or just my general mood, but I found the way the hero and heroine thought about each other to be off-putting. Within the first 5% of the book, the hero refers to the heroine's "tits", which I thought a bit weird language to use, and then the heroine is talking about how to hide that she's so wet just by looking at him. Huh? The story has barely begun, let us get to know these characters better first. Their relationship had zero development before all that started. Didn't work in this story.

I love the author, will definitely try another book by her, but this one just wasn't for me.

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I do enjoy a good rom-com in between my go-to thrillers and this looked like a fun romp. Bethany decides to begin flipping houses by herself instead of just working for her brother. But when it catches the eye of a reality tv producer, she worries as she has no experience in demolition and constantly second-guesses herself. Enter Wes, a hot laborer seven years her junior who has come to town to look after his young niece and volunteers to help her. Things heat up quickly even though she's on a "man-hiatus" and they drive each other crazy with chemistry and witty barbs intended to pretend they aren't interested in each other. That being said, while I enjoyed the plot, the sex scenes were SO drawn out (like 5-7 pages each) that I ended up skimming many of those as I'd just prefer to use my imagination. But if you like really steamy scenes, this is the perfect summer read!

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I thought at times that it was slow, but definitely many laugh out loud moments from Laura, Wes's 5 year old niece. Received ARC from NetGalley for honest review. This is book 3 and a standalone with many of the characters from the first two books that I didn't read. I felt as if I needed to read the other two books to know these characters. Bethany the perfect put together sister who has everyone fooled finally relaxes and lives her life when bantering with Wes who gets her. Wes, the 23 year old uncle who came to assist his stepsister by taking over the care of his 5 year old niece. Wes, who is only 23 is much more mature and responsible then most 10 years his senior. His level of depth and awareness, I guess from growing up in foster care has definitely shaped and had him rely on his self. Love Wes and Laura and got to really like Bethany more in the end. Will read the first two books to learn about the others.

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I think Bailey's books in this series are getting a little more complex and interesting each time. I really did enjoy this one and thought Wes and Bethany's story was very sweet.

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This whole series has been a lot of fun. Wes and Bethany were well-fleshed out and likable characters, and their enemies to coworkers to lovers story was fluffy and sexy and fun. I enjoyed the exploration of both characters' family relationships as well, and especially Wes's relationship with his niece.

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Tessa Bailey is a new author for me, and I didn't realize this book was part of a series before I started it. There were hints about what happened previously, but it wasn't a problem and I enjoyed the book without having read the previous ones.

The banter between the main characters was very entertaining and I really liked the main characters. I read this book fast as I just had to know what happened next. Now I definitely have to go read the first two books in the series!

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I love tessa's books,I can easily read them in one sitting and this wasn't exception, I loved it




The characters were fun and so the book

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Review posted on Goodreads (August 13, 2020)
Review Linked.

4/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for sending me an E-ARC for an honest review!

Tessa Bailey yet again wrote a romance that I could not stop reading and really loved! I was first introduced to her books last year, and ever since then, I have loved every book of hers that I have picked up to read. This book was no exception!

I really love the way Tessa Bailey crafts her characters. Wes and Bethany were so well thought out and dimensional, and I fell head-over-heels in love with their hate-to-love romance. And Wes... Wes was such a honest and amazing male lead in this romance! I loved him from page one! Bethany as well—I felt that her character was so strong. In the end, the plot was fun, the characters were amazing and lovable, and the romance was super steamy and sexy! Tessa Bailey is an amazing romance writer and this is one of my favorite books that she has written!

Thanks for reading!
Caden

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