DNF @ 4%

Thank you so much to Avon and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I put this book off for a long time after seeing so many low ratings. But I decided to finally give it a shot.

Unfortunately I knew very quickly that this one just wasn't going to be for me.

The heroine is 29 but acted like a child. She vandalized and broke private property (repeatedly) over the fact that the business merely existed. All because the business next door was frequented by her grandmother.

On top of that, Tessa Bailey's characters are always so over the top quirky and sexualized. And that was definitely the case here. The heroine is running away from the bar she vandalized and takes the time to comment on the way her boobs bounce. Why are we still doing this?...

But the final straw was the set up for the romance. The heroine is obsessed with a guy she nearly kissed 15 years ago. As a high school freshman. And despite not knowing this man, still stalks him on social media and during his visits home.

Move on ma'am... you're nearly 30 and thirsting over a dude you met at 14...

As much as I've loved this author's books in the past, I think it's time we part ways.

This book was an easy, quick read. It didn't quite live up to what I find to expect from Tessa. It was fun and cute.

Tessa Bailey did it yet again. I loved this deeply. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a swoon worthy, grumpy/ sunshine style romance with tons of spice. thought this was a hole lot of fun!

LOVE LOVE LOVE TESSA BAILEY! Fun read, great steamy parts. Everything I am looking for when I am reading to escape reality. Looking forward to more from this author.

I have mixed feelings about Secretly Yours. I wanted to enjoy this book much more than I actually did. At first, I really loved the “opposites attract” dynamic and the obvious tension between Hallie and Julian. They were both so enjoyable as individuals, too. I thought this would for sure be a new favorite, but then I hit a certain point in the book where I just grew frustrated. I understand that miscommunication is a big thing in rom coms and I’m usually willing to work past it, but something was different here. Usually miscommunication is rooted in unconscious decisions, but Hallie and Julian’s actions felt so deliberate and it ended up being so detrimental to both of them. This period in the book kind of overshadowed the rest for me. I won’t say I hated it! Because there are definitely elements I enjoyed. It just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

I DNF'd at 50% because nothing was happening. There was no chemistry between the characters, no tension moving the story forward. and the characters were flat

Cute, funny and ever so readable - the characters are approachable and hilarious. Have actually picked up twice again for a quick and funny read.

Julian and Hallie honestly were cute but I felt there wasn’t much of a deep connection that they claimed to have. I do tend to love the “opposites attract” kind of romance but this didn’t necessarily help like it usually would. After a while, the whole story just felt repetitive and I lost interest, but obviously not enough to make me stop reading. Despite the light nature of this book, there are some serious elements to it that I guess were incorporated to remind us that they are humans with real-life issues. I didn’t mind these parts but I wasn’t connected to the characters, therefore it was a bit hard for me to care.

After reading several books by Tessa Bailey, I don't know why I am always a little surprised at how steamy they are, but the illustrated covers trick me every time! This was a fun one and I loved that the main male character is the one with anxiety and the way they connected.

Great start to a new series! This was a cute small town opposites attract rom com with that signature Tessa Bailey steam! I loved the cozy vineyard setting and the quirky and often flawed characters. Overall a fun and easy read that I’m excited to recommend to contemporary romance readers!

I think that Secretly Yours feels rushed and is not my favorite novel from Tessa Bailey. I feel in love with her writing with It Happened One Summer and this novel didn't do it for me. I think the whole Ivy League angle with Julian feels superficial as a recently graduated Uni student. I am finding in romance novels that past, second-chance romances are not really my thing! However, if that's what you want from a romance, this one will be for you!

Tessa is the queen of romance, and this is no exception! I know the romance in this one didn't hit for some, but it definitely did for me. Kind of grumpy sunshine, but more 'straight laced / carefree'? Anyway I ate it up and will continue to love Bailey and read everything she puts out. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

This isn't my first Tessa Bailey book, but she is a recent find of mine, and I wonder again, where has she been all my life? Her romances are fun, funny and steamy. I enjoyed this one so much! Julian and Halley were great together, and they made me smile and laugh over and over. And can I just say I just love that her characters aren't perfect? They have real life issues and real life stress, something we can all appreciate after the last few years I am sure. And they figure out a way to deal with those problems individually, but also together.

Can't wait to read the second book!

I'll start out by saying that I love Tessa"s books, however, this one fell a little flat for me. The characters invoked no real emotions and the pacing was inconsistent at times. Although still an enjoyable read, just not as great as I'd hoped.

This book was such an entertaining romcom. Set in a small town, these two find their second chance! It's mildly spicy but thick on the plot, true to Tessa Baileys writing style. An great quick summer read!

Tessa Bailey is one of the great RomCom writers out there. Her stories are so easily pictured, when reading, and Secretly Yours is another hit. Meet the Vos Family and all their intricacies. I loved the path of the main characters, though some of the outrageous paths they took were out there; we got the HEA we all wanted. Saving the vineyard and finding your true self, you'll love the love story of Julian and his secret crush.

Another hit from Tessa Bailey. This is a good start to a new series. As usual Tessa delivers a great story with just the right amount of spice.

This is my second Tessa Bailey and so far I am hooked. I must admit that I did not like Hallie at the beginning but I assume that is because I was able to identify more with Julian. Hallie is a hot mess haha, a hot mess I came to adore but a hot mess none the less. Julian is hot but also appears to have his life in order, too in order. As a therapist and someone who has anxiety it was really interested to see the measures Julian takes to maintain what he feels is a perfectly orderly life. I really enjoyed how Hallie was able to come in, as the polar opposite, and show him how to live again. It was a fun read of friends to lovers with some nice steam but relatable issues with each character. Well rounded flawed characters are hard to find. Looking forward to next one in the series!

Thank you so much for the opportunity.

I really enjoyed getting to know these characters. I loved the setting, and the small town feel.

The difference between his rigidity and her go with the flow was really fun, and had some of the same aspects I enjoy about grumpy sunshine.

Overall a fun time!

I love reading books by Tessa Bailey because there is something in her books that just make them easy and fun reads for me. Secretly Yours was definitely middle of the road for me. There were aspects that I loved like the setting and the characters, but to be honest I went into it thinking that the book was going to be more surrounding letters and secret pining, and was a bit disappointed when I realize that might have been the baseline for the story but it was not the main storyline. Overall I still had a fun time reading it and will definitely be reading whatever else Tessa Bailey writes