
Member Reviews

I very much appreciate being able to request ARCs. I think it’s wonderful and am very happy to leave a review for books in kind. However, there comes a time when some books just don’t match up with the reader and I’m afraid Tessa Bailey is not for me. So thank you NetGalley and thank you to the publisher. I don’t believe it would be fair of me to leave a review on Goodreads as I did not end up finishing this book.

tessa bailey has her niche, and i respect that. i also find that it is not for me. i am glad her work can serve a certain audience and demographic, i just do not find myself within that. and that's okay! so glad she is around for those who need her. would read again but still not for me.

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey is a delightful fit for readers who adore lighthearted, humorous romances with a touch of whimsy, set against the charming backdrop of wine country, and featuring a grumpy-sunshine contrast that will leave them smiling and rooting for the lovable, eccentric heroine and her starchy, yet secretly swoon-worthy, professor hero.

No thanks. I had to DNF about 30% in. This story was SO boring. I felt no attachment to the characters and everything just felt very flat.
I don't know why I keep giving this mediocre author a chance but this book is enough for me to say, goodbye to Tessa.
Thanks Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC.

Bailey has a bunch of good ideas for stories I feel and falls just short of executing them well. While I did enjoy the cuteness of this book and the overall heart-warming feels it gave me, it's just a cute story with a happy ending. A good fluffy read and nothing else, which is what I hope she was going for.

I love Tessa Bailey and everything that I have read by her. So this hurts me to say I could not get into Secretly Yours. I hope this is just this book and I’m going to give her second book in this series a try. I will not be reviewing this book on my social media accounts.

Tessa Bailey tends to be a ‘hit or miss’ author for me, and sadly, Secretly Yours was no exception. I think that if she challenged herself to not always write characters that come across as caricatures.
I did not root for the couple in this book, and the “sunshine x grumpy” trope really only works when it feels authentic, not when you just are constantly being reminded that she is a giant ray of sunshine and he’s cranky. I feel like so much of the romance in this was superficial and based off of sexual attraction more than anything, which was frustrating.
I know that Tessa can write some strong romance. I would really like for her to take her time with this and write something that feels genuinely fresh.

I really enjoyed this read, it was such a cute story with memorable characters!! I love Tessa Bailey, this wasn’t my favorite from her but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I liked the premise of this book with the secret admirer letters, but I wasn't buying the chemistry between the two characters. It was a cute story overall, but I'm hoping the next in the series will appeal to me more.

I think this was my least favorite Tessa Dare in a while. I didn't find the main characters to be very likable and I didnt find their connection to be very believable. Of course, the writing was still fun and made me laugh a couple times but it wasnt great.

[RECOMMENDATIONS] For anyone new to romance! Scratch that... just for anyone!
[SYNOPSIS] Hallie and Julian had a will they won't they moment in their teens... and they didn't. Now they're adults, Hallie has been hired to revamp the gardens of the Vos Estate, and she's wondering if the sparks that were smothered then, will resurface. However, he isn't as sweet as she remembered... and they begin to clash constantly. He is a grouch, aka the grumpy to her sunshine. Julian is on a sabbatical from his professor job, hoping to write a novel, and somehow Hallie is always just... THERE. Looking gorgeously distracting.
[REVIEW] I love Tessa Bailey so much! Honestly she just writes like she is having FUN!!! She makes her romance novels full of fun little silly things for us to eat up, and keeps us fed. She isn't afraid to put a fun twist on a classic trope, to get spicy, and just make you laugh out loud. It's hard for you to be in a bad mood when reading a Tessa Bailey book. Their chemistry in this book was off the charts for me, and I love a grumpy sunshine.
**This e-book was gifted to me by Avon and Netgalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.

I usually love Tessa’s stuff but this book was not it for me. Both the MMC and FMC were insufferable and I didn’t feel their connection.

I wasn't a huge fan of this book. Something about the story just didn't connect for me. However, I love the second book in this series and highly recommend reading it.

I love any and everything Tessa Bailey writes and this book was no exception. I really liked the grumpy/sunshine trope. The character were approachable and hilarious, and then with the added spice. I loved it, and definitely recommend.

My least favorite Tessa Bailey book by far and I am bummed as heck about it. While this did have plenty of her characteristic steam, it was missing all of the charm that I can usually expect alongside it. From the romance to the plot itself, Secretly Yours felt undercooked in just about every way. I will certainly still be reading more from Tessa in the future because I usually adore her books, but methinks I will be taking a bit of a break until she puts something out with a synopsis that really grabs my attention. Hopefully I will enjoy the next thing I pick up from her more!

Loved this grumpy sunshine pairing! They were somehow perfect for each other and I just wanted to see them get their HEA

I really liked the grumpy/sunshine trope in this book. I also really enjoyed the alternating POV between characters - it felt very natural and instinctive (not choppy at all). The characters were all very endearing and you want to root for them all throughout the book. The relationship between Hallie & Julian was great - really enjoyed that they learned to grow together instead of trying to change for each other. This was a great rom-com with a very satisfying happily-ever-after.

A sweet chance at romance. Love that they’re in completely different fields of work to be able to cross paths. Very cute.

I unfortunately got approved for the arc right around the same time it was released and forgot I even requested! Im thankful for the chance to read but I ended up deciding to wait to read it, Tessa bailey is a really good writer & her books are so good, Im glad I got the opportunity to even have the arc I just wish I would’ve got around to reading it!

I love Tessa Bailey’s writing style, she just has a way of making me want to finish all of her books in one sitting. This book was no different. I love a good romance.i saw some mixed reviews but honestly this book was an easy read and I was satisfied with the ending. I really enjoyed it!