I love and adore Tessa Bailey. Tools of Engagement is another wonderful addition to this series. Each of these characters are loveable and leave you wanting more!!

I am not familiar with this series and when I saw it on Edelweiss while reading the description I thought it looked like a fun read. Thank you to Avon/Harper Collins and NetGalley/Edelweiss for letting me read the ARC of this novel. I really, really enjoyed this story and was enchanted by Wes and Brittany. The book has the traditional trope expectations - younger guy/older woman, single parenting, fast & snappy dialogue, etc, etc.
I found myself laughing out loud in many spots with Wes' sweet & dirty talking as well as his cute manipulative ways to get his niece to do things or to eat the good food. This is definitely one I am talking up to with friends who enjoy contemporary romances.

Tools of Engagement just didn’t do it for me. I really did not care for it’s predecessor, but I did like Wes and Bethany so I figured a book centered around them should be good. Unfortunately, it still fell flat. I really liked that Bethany wanted to prove herself to her family that she could do more and do her own flip. The reality show competition it turned into was a bit boring.

The romance between Wes and Bethany was fine, but I thought it would be a bit more engaging. As was a major issue for me in the previous novel, I cannot get passed the possessive, alpha male trope Bailey seems to always have as the male love interest. However, I will say Wes did attempt to check himself, and Bethany called him out on it on several occasions. So improvement, I guess...

Overall, it was ok, but after three books by this author I’ve decided her style is not for me.

I recieved an ARC of Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey from NetGalley free of charge for my review. I read and adored the first book in the Hot & Hammered series and loved it. When I saw an ARC was available for request for the 3rd book, I didn't even hesitate to request it. I was thrilled to be picked.

This book can be read as a stand alone or in the series. If you've read the other books you'll be familiar with some of the goings on, but you can keep up reading out of order too. These books are categorized as rom-com. This one in particular is a hate to love. It features a slight age gap romance as well.

The main characters Wes and Bethany take on a home renovation project that ends up televised. Bethany has decided to go head to head with her brother/family's business. Wes and Bethany must learn to work together if they stand a chance to win.

This series is one of my favorite berkley series' and I'm so sad to see it end! I will definitely be checking out tessa bailey in the future :)

I think this is my favorite of the series. This book is everything I love in a book. It is hot and steamy, there is witty banter, and it made me cry.

I think Tessa tackled a series issue in this one. So many women doubt themselves and yet they put out an outward shell of perfection when they are actually falling apart inside. She did a great job of tackling what society has made us today.

I also loved the guardianship talk. That is hard but Tessa wrote about it with wit and grace. Nothing was ever too heavy but the reader was able to learn about things.

Tessa gets all the stars for tools of Engagement.

It's here! The third book in Tessa Bailey's Hot and Hammered series. This time it's Castle sister Bethany's turn and she's got her work cut out for her. She's leaving the family business to run a flip on her own. Enter Wes, a former rodeo star turned single dad to his 5-year-old niece. Wes has wanted Bethany since he saw her and when she storms onto her brother's job site to quit he decides to go with her and become her foreman.
Wes' moments with his niece will make your heart grow three sizes and Bethany's constant struggle with perfection will ring true to some degree for women struggling with society's ideals.

I loved loved loved Wes and Bethany's interactions. Wes might be the official perfect book boyfriend. The whole plot moves at a good pace especially since Bethany and her brother face off in a sibling rivalry HGVT type tv show. You definitely don't need to read books 1 and 2 to follow along with Bethany and Wes' and missing this story is not an option.

4.1 stars

I am a huge fan of this author and this entire series (even though I just went back to look at my previous reviews and they aren't here anymore and show that I haven't even read the books even though I have and own them in paperback but that is a moot point that I will investigate later). The first book was an almost 4.5 stars and the second was 5 stars because Dominic and Rosie were EVERYTHING, but this one didn't have that same oomph that I look for when I read this author. Don't get me wrong, it still has that Tessa Bailey flair that she does so well. Yet, I was wanting something more.

I am not sure where the disconnect for me was considering that Wes was swoon-worthy. His actions in all aspects of his life and how he conducted himself made me want a clone of him for myself. If I had to guess, it was Bethany. There was a little too much of myself in her and maybe that is why I felt discombobulated. It hit too close to home and made me have to look at myself. Yet, even by saying that, it is a testament to this author that she can write a character that feels that authentic. Even saying that I had this disconnect with them as a couple (likely, again because I see so much of Bethany in myself and the likelihood of me getting someone like Wes is slim to none in this lifetime) I still rooted for them. There was just the right amount of poignant moments, levity, steamy times, and the notion of love coming true.

Even though this isn't my favorite from this author I would still recommend it to every that is a fan and even those that are not. There is something special about her hence why she is a splurge whenever I go into a physical bookstore.

I honestly can't love this series any more than I already do. Tessa Bailey has such a knack for steamy but heartfelt stories and Tools of Engagement is no different!

Wowza! What an exhilarating read!. I knew gets to expect- the usual roller coaster ride. Two attractive but messed up people are sorta enemies who become friends and then lovers. So there are all the twist and turns as you accelerate to the top and then boom the bottom falls out. Then finally the lovers climb back up and coast back down to a happy ending, So, sure you know what is coming but you are still screaming, cheering and fearing for the life of this romance,
I absolutely adored Georgie and Travis in Fix Her Up but Bethany and Wes may be more adorable. With Wes what is not to love.After all, he is sexy, smart, smart assed,sweet, loving ( even if he has never known love before). Then there is Bethany. She shouldn’t have been likable. However, we soon discover that there is a huge heart under that perfect exterior,So, put them together and and in an adorable little girl and a quirky cast of side characters and you have a touching ,sexy ,sweet love story that you don’t want to end. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley!

I enjoyed this latest addition to the Hot and Hammered series. This was probably my favorite one so far. While the sex scenes were steamy, the rest of the book was sweet. The relationship between Wes and his niece was adorable and Bethany's anxiety was relatable. I look forward to reading more from Bailey and this series.

I loved the first two books in this series. I knew that this couple was coming for a while now and I WAS READY FOR IT. I love the hate you, f&%k you, love you troupe. Sign me up. I also really enjoyed how Bailey dealt with issues such as anxiety and substance abuse in this novel. She was able to accomplish this while still being super sexy and playful. I 100% think you could read this as a stand alone. But I have been told I am waaaaaay too lenient in this regard. I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley and HarperCollins, thank you to them. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an entertaining enemies to lovers read! The banter between Wes and Bethany was on point. Their interactions constantly made me laugh and they had the best chemistry. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this romance unfold.

I could easily relate to Bethany and her need to always presenting herself as being put together even when she wasn’t. Unlike Bethany’s closest family and friends, Wes could see the insecurities that lurked under her projected confidence. He would find ways to encourage her and help her believe in her abilities to try something new that she wasn’t comfortable with especially if it meant riling her up. Wes was such a lovable character particularly due to his relationship with his niece. I recommend this to rom-com fans. It was a great read!

I’ve read all of the Fix Her Up books and this was by far my favorite! I was anxiously awaiting Bethany and Wes’ story and it didn’t disappoint! As a perfectionist myself, Bethany was so relatable and a breath of fresh air. Loved it!

The third book in the Fix Her Up series features perfectionist Bethany Castle and newcomer Wes. We were introduced to the two back in book one, and I’ve been waiting for this book since then. It was clear then that the tension between the two would lead to an enemies to lovers situation. I didn’t expect for Wes and Bethany to have the character depth that was revealed in Tools of Engagement. Watching the two work and grow together was fun and made for the best story of the series.

Bethany wants to strike out on her own and flip a house start to finish, but she's more nervous than anyone else knows. Wes has been attracted to Bethany since he first saw her, but she doesn't seem to think he's worth her time and he's just trying to stay afloat taking care of his 5-year-old niece. When Wes decides to team up with Bethany for the flip, will they be able to work together?

This was my favorite book in this series. Yes, it was steamy, but it also talked about anxiety and insecurities. I really connected with Bethany's character and her perfectionist anxieties, and I enjoyed watching Wes's character develop into someone hear-warming and mature.

Bethany Castle gets a new lease on love.

Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey follows Bethany Castle, who wants move away from her staging role in her family's real estate business by flipping her own house. However, Bethany's brother has little faith in Bethany's construction ability. When a reality television show gets wind of their argument, the two participate in a house flipping competition. Unfortunately for Bethany, there's only one person on her side: Wes Daniels, an annoying (but cute) member of her brother's crew.

I didn't know much of what to expect when I read Tools of Engagement. I know Tessa Bailey is a popular romance author, but I hadn't read any of her books previously. Although I wasn't completely sold on all aspects of this book, there were some elements that I really enjoyed.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the main character, Bethany. In many other similar books, Bethany would play the villain as she is pretty and put together all the time. However, I appreciated that Tessa Bailey put her in the focus of this story because readers can see her character more in depth. Bethany struggles with anxiety and the need to be perfect, no matter what. Throughout the novel, Bethany grows significantly by showing more confidence in herself and expressing how she feels to her family and friends who put high expectations on her. I think many readers will relate to Bethany and appreciate her character growth throughout the plot in the book.

As for Bethany's love interest, Wes, I have mixed feelings. For me, there were aspects about his character that I liked and other that I did not like. Let's start with what I enjoyed. One of the conflicts in the relationship between Bethany and Wes is the age difference between the two characters (Bethany is 7 years older than Wes who is 23). I appreciate that this book featured a couple with an appropriate age difference as this isn't typically shown in books. I also appreciated reading about his relationship with his niece, who he takes care of so her mom can get the helps she needs. I thought their relationship was cute and the level of the responsibility that Wes took in this book did make him see more mature.

At the same time, there were some aspects of his character that I just didn't prefer. Wes can be very possessive with Bethany regarding other males that literally never have even met her. For example, Wes goes to find a crew to work on Bethany's home remodel. He refuses to get any young men on the crew because he doesn't want them to flirt with Bethany and instead opts for much older men who struggle to work longer hours on the job site. This isn't appropriate behavior, whether he is in a relationship with Bethany or not (which he wasn't when this part of the story occurred). All I know is if I was a 30-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man was acting that way towards me, it wouldn't be attractive. Also, if I heard about his cowboy hat or read about him calling Bethany "darlin'" one more time, I wouldn't be able to take it.

As for the construction aspect of the plot, it isn't too heavily involved in that area. While we have some of the demo and see some of the ending, this aspect of the story was slightly disappointing. Yes, this is a romance, so I did expect that to occupy most of the space, so on that front, it was successful. At the same time, a big chunk of the story is Bethany being more independent, specifically through flipping her own house, so I wish I could have seen a little more of that. I think the most unsatisfying part of this whole novel for me was the ending of the competition because it was very rushed and executed in an unsatisfying way, which is all I can really say without giving any major spoilers.

Also, as a disclaimer this is the third book in the companion series. I haven't read the first two books in this series, although I'm familiar with their storylines. That being said, not reading the first two books didn't really hinder my reading experience. I thought the Just Us League, which was probably formed in an earlier book, as well as the background of the family business were described enough that I didn't feel like I was missing anything from the story.

Overall, Tools of Engagement is a fun romance that was a quick and easy to read. I recommend this book to fans of this companion series as well as any one who enjoys an "enemies" to lover romance. I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

*This book was sent to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book made me feel seen. Tools of Engagement is a great ending to the Hot and Hammered trilogy. Wes is 23 and unattached until he finds himself in Port Jefferson, NY taking care of his niece full-time. There he meets Bethany who does everything she can to make everything appear perfect no matter how she's feeling inside...something I relate to all too much. The two meet in the second book of this series and sparks fly instantly as messy and wild Wes clashes with perfectionist Bethany with some of the funniest dialogue. It only builds in this book. They end up working together on a project that brings them working together in close quarters and the result is spectacular.

This book is everything I have come to love from Tessa Bailey. It's funny, sweet and hot all in one. I love all the characters and the backdrop of a house flip is just fun. I really enjoyed Tools of Engagement and could definitely see it as a re-read for me in the future. I would give this 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5.

As someone who is mildly addicted to HGTV home renovation shows, this book was so much fun! It was a cute, quick read with characters that were interesting and relatable. I liked the age difference since it is not something that I have seen often. I found myself flying through this book and putting down the others I am currently reading. I was intrigued most by the portions of the book with Wes’s niece, Laura and by the parts working in the house. I do think that Bethany was a little repetitively in a few places, but overall it didn’t really bother me much. All in all, this is a fun distraction and I had a great time with it.

If you liked Tessa Bailey's other books set in Port Jefferson, you'll probably like this one as well. If you haven't read the other books, I wouldn't start here, while not a series per se, there is a lot about the world of Port Jeff that comes out in other books and makes this book make more sense. It was an easy and light read but I did find myself more excited for the brief scenes where Travis and Georgie from Fix Her Up, showed up, as I continued to care more about them than the main couple in this book. The reality show concept didn't seem important to the plot at all and I would have loved to see that explored more, as it was it was almost an after thought and it could have been left out, in my opinion. Overall, it was a fine end to the Port Jefferson books but not my favorite of the bunch.