Oh my goodness-this book. This is my first Tessa Bailey read, and I have already ordered the other two in this series. I think we all love a good "will they/won't they" story, and this one surely doesn't disappoint. These characters have so much chemistry, you feel it as you are reading it. Not to mention, it's very well written. I started reading this morning, and literally didn't put it down until I was finished. A great plot line, great chemistry, and a little steaminess-what more are you looking for in a book? This is definitely one I will be re-reading. Highly recommend!

Adored this read. Tess Bailey brings the heat, and the humor. Hilarious family competition, hot romance, and fantastic friendships. Top 2020 read.

There is so much to love about this book. Bethany and Wes are very much opposites. She is tightly controlled, high anxiety, and obsessed with achieving perfection. Wes is a little bit wild, a lot of mess, and way laid back. They are both working on finding out how they fit in to their worlds. Bethany is also 7 years older than Wes - but in emotional age she might be a little bit younger.

Wes is caring for his niece while his sister takes a "break" from parenting. Wes and his sister grew up in foster care. At age 23 Wes has lived in 14 different homes and has learned that nothing sticks around for long. His plan is to care for his niece until his sister gets her act together - and then be off again.

Bethany is grounded in a tightly knit family and small town. She is a talented designer with an ivy league education. She also suffers from crippling anxiety and fear that she has hid from her family and friends with a smooth veneer of perfection.

Bethany and Wes are oil and water until Wes is the only one of her brother's crew that is willing to work with her on her first independent house flip. That brings Wes and Bethany together in a very real way and lets them open up to each other. Once they do that - you can see that they are the only ones who truly see each other.

I loved the imperfections in all the characters and how both Bethany and Wes don't try to fix each other - just support each other. I do hope that Bethany does get some therapy, tho.

Overall this is a great read - and although I didn't read the first two books in the series - I don't think I missed anything in this story because of that.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are my own.

Tools of Engagement is a feisty romcom from the wonderful Tessa Bailey! I've been loving the books in this seres but I think this is my favorite so far! I hope she continues to write books like these because if she does I'll be reading them all!

I love this series, there's no secret about that! I was so excited about Bethany & Wes's story and I really enjoyed it!
This book is fun, flirty and steamy & easy to fly through!
I will say my favorite in the series is the first one, Fix Her Up but this was still a fun read!
I will read about any character in Port Jefferson & I'm glad Bethany finally got to tell her story!

Cute book, a nice conclusion to the trilogy. Although handsome man takes care of newly vulnerable young child is a bit of a cliche, this was well done.

Bethany Castle is always in her element. She is calm, collected and cool. After all, she is the interior decorator for her family's business and that's exactly what she does best. Put everyone else at ease and make them feel welcome. But what about her, who is going to be there for her when she doesn't have the energy to always be "perfect"?

Wes Daniels, isn't used to sticking around in one place for a long time. He's used to jumping from one place or another; hence his career at being a bull rider. Life throws Wes a curve ball and he soon finds himself in Port Jefferson taking care of his five year for the unforeseeable future.

I really enjoyed Fix Her Up (book #1 in the series), but Love Her or Lose Her (book #2 in the series) wasn't one I connected with as much. Tools of Engagement might be my favorite of the series. I love a sweet (and dirty) talking, sexy cowboy and Wes was all of those things. The banter between Wes and Bethany was so perfect and the sexual tension was always simmering between these two. But more than that, I loved how Wes seemed to completely get Bethany. He pushed her when she needed it and backed off when she needed her space. He was affectionate and attentive and always so damn sweet.

His sweetness and desire to protect both this niece and Bethany was definitely what made me fall for Wes. The interactions between Wes and his niece were some of my favorites. They were so sweet together and I ended up falling for both of them. A lot of times the single parent trope doesn't hold that much appeal to me, but these two were so perfect in this book!

I loved the interactions between Bethany and the Just Us League. I enjoyed revisiting with Georgie, Rosie and the rest of the gang. Watching Bethany transform and let go of her insecurities was perhaps my favorite part of this book. As Tessa states in her acknowledgements - we don't always have to be that perfect person that's thrown across our social media. It's okay to just be who we are.

Tools of Engagement releases September 22, 2020 - add this to your TBR list!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

Surprisingly I liked this a lot better than "Fix Her Up" despite its rave reviews. In my opinion, Bethany and Wes had so much better chemistry and the sexual tension, woo-wee! Our cowboy wasn't afraid to shoot his shot and it was refreshing to see a male lead pursuing the heroine for once. He was the perfect book boyfriend with his patience and sweet encouragements he gave Bethany during her struggle with her insecurities. I really liked seeing them together despite how fast their relationship moved later on in the novel and the appearances of the previous characters that were featured in past installments. Am I the only one who wants to read how Stephen and Kristen's stable but unstable relationship started? They're a riot! Nevertheless, this is a great addition to the "Hot & Hammered" series.

I loooove Tessa Bailey and Love her or Lose Her is one of my favorite books ever! However, this one did not do it for me. It was a great book but it wasn't a great book for me. It seemed like with this series Bailey tried different things for each one of the books in this series. And this one just didn't work for me. And that's not saying it wasn't good. It was a good book with Bailey's typical fantastic writing but the set up was off for me. A lot of interruptions between the main couple that I didn't love. Saying this book didn't work for me just means that it wasn't the best book I had ever read by her. Not every book can be a hit out of the park. I was left with saying "meh". It was still good but not what I usually see from Bailey.

Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey

The first page HOOKS you right in (I mean come on!! That was the cutest thing ever) and then the story just flows so perfectly. We are entertained the entire book. These characters were fun to read about. Bailey takes us on a bit of a “Flip” rollercoaster. We get lots of emotions, ones you feel yourself while reading the words.

Wes and Bethany have a lot going on in each of their lives but once these two start the flip, we watch as they each gravitate toward one another. How they each can calm the other. There is lots of witty back and forth between the two. And the chemistry is out of this world. Side characters you fall in love with. Super cute scenes with Wes and Laura that will have you swooning. This book was simply entertaining!

I loved every element to this read.

Bailey is super talented and knows how to hook the readers! I would highly recommend this book to any romance reader.

*I was provided a copy of this book by NetGally in exchange for my honest and voluntary review. All thoughts and opinions written in the review are those of my own*

3.5 Stars

*Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review*

I've given the first two romances in this series 5 stars. They made me laugh, cry, and swoon. This one however, missed the mark for me. Which I'm sad to say because I LOVE enemies to lovers and all the tension that comes with it.

For me this felt a little disconnected. The narration felt choppy and the plot just felt like a drag from point A to B. Bethany has anxiety and possibly OCD but this is never addressed as anything serious or anything more than just perfectionism? Mental Illness and struggles need to be addressed it novels as more than just plot points. Everything was just a little all over the place for me to truly connect with the characters.

Tessa Bailey writes good romances and I was so excited to receive this arc but this one fell a little short for me.

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
I usually love Tessa Bailey, but I was a little put off by the main character. She was a little too type A for me and I couldn't get into the book. Unfortunately, I dnf.

Confession: I was a little disappointed after reading Georgie and Travis’ story and first book of the series was three starred, mediocre starting for me. But at the second book, possessive, passionate Alpha-dog Dominic and his fight to win his wife Rosie back stole my heart. And at that book: I already introduced Bethany and charming Wes including their fiery-smart-entertaining banters as a first start of their enemies to lovers story so I was so excited to read their own book.

Well: I have to admit: I didn’t like this one as much as I enjoyed Dominic and Rosie’s love story because:
Bethany is quirky, perfectionist: everything in her world should be organized, polished, in order, sophisticated. She loves to design houses and working on details. It all works well for me and I actually enjoy reading the characters with their own antics, flaws but Bethany’s extreme insecurities, judging herself so harshly made me frustrated. This hot-sex chemistry between she and Wes start to turn into something angsty- ultra slow burn romance between charming cowboy and annoying insecure woman.

The other thing I didn’t like was the reality TV concept. In my opinion it slowly kills the true romance parts between characters and turning them into something unrealistic and artificial. Without the TV concept, Wes may still Rene Zellweger’d Bethany (it means he quits his job just because following Bethany because he believed in her cause just like Zellweger did at Jerry Maguire , joining her to support her against rivalry between she and her brother. (At the end: if their partnership doesn’t work, he may Cuba Gooding Jr’d her any time by requesting: SHOW HIM THE MONEY as well!)

And of course: I wanted to scream at the author when I didn’t see any intimacy between the characters till the last third of the book.

But I truly loved Wes and his connection with his niece Laura. And Bethany is also more secure and relaxed when she is around Laura.

And the sweet-sour rivalry between Bethany and her brother, the conclusion of their fight were the sweetest part of the book.
So I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars and I decided another 3,5 stars and rounding them up to 4. Because I still enjoyed the story more than the first book. Wes definitely stole my heart with his sweetness, smartass comments and his patience to earn Bethany’s heart.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Collins Publishers for sharing this feel-good ARC with me in exchange my honest review.

I started reading this book almost immediately but it wasn't until I finished that I realized it was third in a series. This was very easy to read without having read the previous 2 books. I am always down for a great rom-com!
Bethany is quite the perfectionist while presumably sexy cowboy Wes is not. The bickering back and forth between Bethany and Wes only adds to the sexual tension between the pair! Some parts of the book definitely had a "Fifty Shades" quality, which I really enjoyed!

This book was such a fun enemies to lovers romance. I read the first in this series and it was ok for me, but I loved this one. I'm thinking I will have to go back and read the 2nd that I skipped. There were definitely some heavy topics but the I really enjoyed the back and forth between Bethany and Wes. Perfect summer read!

Funny, sexy, and much needed during this time of lockdown. Tessa Bailey is a always a solid author at my library and this is a great addition. If you are a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, as well as the younger man for an older woman, this is for you. While not necessarily my favorite of hers, it's still a sweet and steamy read when you are looking for escapism.

In hindsight, I don’t know why I requested this one from @netgalley when I didn’t even like the first book I read from this author??? I got click happy and overeager, I think! It’s a true romance with little plot and much steaminess and that’s just not my jam. The storyline that was there felt 100% cliche and laughable and I couldn’t buy into any of it. If you’re into that kinda thing, you’d love this one, especially since it’s the story of side characters from the other books in the three-part Fix Her Up series so you can keep reading afterward, too!

Yes! The third in this series does not disappoint! This made me laugh out loud, brought tears to my eyes, and made me fan myself because this was hot hot hot! I loved that Wes stood his ground and proved he would be there and I was overjoyed that there wasn’t any kind of crazy issue that threw a wrench into the works. And good job Bethany for recognising your issues and taking charge of how you wanted to change. Loved this!!!

This is the third book in the series and I am pretty sure the last since this is the last of the founders of the "Just Us league" I always liked Bethany she was funny and to the points and definitely there for her friends. Bethany had met Wes in the last book so I hope you guys have read it if not stop go read it you want to know the characters better and their back story. Wes is 7 years younger than Bethany and not someone she probably would have gone for and you love him he does not let Bethany use her sarcasm of put downs at him. Their banter was funny and even though they are different we know opposites attrack and these two have that. I loved reading about he previous couple!! I love Georgie and Travis, love them and still can't stand Kristen, I wish she would have been put in her place they placated her too much, however I was happy they stopped her from getting the microphone, wondering what I am talking about? Grab a copy and find out!!

I have been waiting for Tools of Engagement since the moment I finished Love Her or Lose Her. I got a glimpse of the dynamic between Wes and Bethany and was so excited for their story. It didn't let me down. Tools of Engagement was my favorite in the Hot & Hammered series.

What made Hot & Hammered so good? Quite a few things. First, I LOVED the banter. There was a whole I'm going to be mean to you because I actually like you thing going on. It was childish, but totally worked. It made the banter super fun because I could appreciate how ridiculous Wes and Bethany were being. Bethany especially. The banter made their swoon worthy relationship that much more fun.

The next thing that stood out to me was Bethany's character. I don't have much in common with her, but I could see a lot of women in her. She strove for perfection to the point where she couldn't let loose or be herself. She had everything the way she thought it should have been, but was missing the big picture. I loved how she figured out the perfection was required.

Then, there was Wes. He would definitely make my list of favorite male characters. He might have only been 23, but he came across much older and more mature. I loved how he antagonized Bethany. It wasn't done to be mean, but to light a fire under her. I also loved how he was with his niece, Laura. That relationship showed what a good person he was.

I can't leave out the group of women and how they come together to support each other. That's been one of the coolest aspects of this series. It wasn't quite as heavily featured in this book, but it was there to support Bethany when she needed it.

Finally, there was the whole competition between Bethany and her brother Stephen. I liked not only what it did for Bethany's relationship with Wes, but with Stephen as well.

Tools of Engagement was truly a fun romantic read filled great banter, humor, the sweetest of romances. If you're a fan of this series, you won't want to miss out on it.