Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey is a marriage of convenience, which follows ex-seal August Cates and Natalie Vos

The banter, spice, and romance between August and Nat were amazing. But that was to be expected because it’s Tessa Bailey.

I thought it was wholesome that August had a ring lying around just for Natalie. August was such a romantic at heart, because of his intense love for Natalie and his willingness to go to any lengths for her.

Even said, August did have his frustrating moments since some of the things he would say, especially to Natalie, would be rude asf.

All in all, Tessa will always have a way with words and writing because everything about this was entertaining.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and to the author Tessa Bailey, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

“Unfortunately Yours” by Tessa Bailey

Natalie Vos has lost her job and her fiancé, in that order, and she has no choice but to head back home to Napa where her family is practically royalty in the wine business. Luckily for her, Natalie loves wine…drinking it, that is. What she doesn’t love is living back home with her mom who scrutinizes her every move, and her brother who has recently met the love of his life and is doing absolutely nothing to keep the PDA down to a non-nauseating level.
Natalie needs to get her hands on her trust fund so she can get herself back on her feet but there are a few terms she needs to meet first, including getting married. Remember that earlier problem with the fiancé?
Enter August Cates, the incredibly handsome though equally annoying local (failing) vineyard owner that Natalie loves to hate. He needs a business loan from the same man that Natalie needs to convince to give her access to her trust fund and she knows her family name is enough to give him some backing. Natalie has hit her absolute lowest and when she thinks she’s completely run out of options she decides to propose to August. The only problem, okay, one of many problems, is that August and Natalie can barely stomach being in the same room as each other, much less get married and convince the entire town that they’re head over heels in love.
Despite the fact that this is just a quickie marriage, it still needs to seem legitimate or they’ll both be turned down for what they need. But maybe what they really need is each other. The attraction between the two begins to reach unbearable levels but neither of them is in this for love and they’ll do everything in their power to stick to the terms of the deal. Tessa Bailey has done it again and “Unfortunately Yours” is the enemy-turned lovers book you need to add to your summer reading list.

Reviewed by Abbey Peralta for Suspense Magazine

Tessa Bailey has such a gift. Compelling romance after compelling romance, her characters never lose that charming energy that they all have by the end of her novels. So enjoyable and soooooo steamy.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copies. All thoughts are my own.

After the first book in this series I was really looking forward to seeing August and Natalie's story. Thankfully, they did not disappoint.

I love marriage of convenience books and this one nailed it. August Cates is swoon worthy. I loved his need to protect Natalie even when he thought she hated him. His story about why he has taken over a winery will break your heart and he is just such a softy in a big, burly package. I felt like Natalie was a little hit or miss. I felt she comes across a little too prickly in the beginning but once you start realizing that is behind that and see behind her walls you start to understand what makes her character who she is.

This book has all the hallmarks of a good Tessa book. It is steamy and the banter is excellent.

Thank you to the publisher for an EARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

1 Star

I feel really terrible & am probably in the minority but I just did not like this book. I tried so hard and wanted to love it so badly because the fake marriage trope is usually my favorite!

I have heard so many readers on social media who rave about Tessa Bailey, so I think she’s worth giving a shot if you are a RomCom lover. I think sadly, she just isn’t for me.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager & Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
TW: Please Check
Spice: Open Door
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️[4/5]
*Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing a free e-book in exchange for an honest review*

Plot:
Natalie Vos returned to her family’s vineyard after losing her job and fiancé within the blink of an eye. After a few months of self-pity, she was ready to march back to New York with her head held high and show everyone who doubted her how wrong they were about her. There was only one problem, she needed access to her trust fund. Unfortunately for her, the terms for her to gain access required her to be employed and married of which she was nowhere near achieving. She quickly realized that August’s vineyard was failing, and his funds had run dry. She got the brilliant idea of proposing the idea of a sham marriage to him. They would both get the financial freedom they both desperately needed. The only problem? Will they survive it?

Thoughts:
This book made me realize how much I truly enjoy the marriage of convenience trope especially when attached to the rivals to lovers trope. I have to say that I went into this book slightly apprehensively since “Secretly Yours” was not one of my favorite Tessa Bailey books, but WOW she did not disappoint!

Tessa’s writing did not disappoint, it was funny, witty, creative, and engaging! I laughed so much while reading this! Natalie Vos is my favorite character from this series and her entire personality is just it for me. One of the things that I loved about this book was that under the wit and humor lay real traumas and issues for this character and I thoroughly enjoyed the character development. It was a cute romance on the surface with a deeper layer to it if you chose to go diving for it.

I do not want to say much about August as to not spoil anything, but I will say I love him and the chemistry between August and Natalie had me giggling and kicking my feet frantically like a giddy school girl. His golden retriever personality was just too adorable to not fall in love with.

If you are looking for a summer book, I highly recommend this one.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, sweet, steamy and kept me reading. This book can be read as a standalone story, though it was book 2 in the Vine Mess series. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books in this series as well as other books by this author.

Dnf 38%
It could be that i just got done reading an epic fantasy but this book is not doing it for me right now.
No character growth, the world isn't sticking out to me, dialogue isnt entertaining. I was even zoned out during the shower scene. It felt like the characters were wanting to grow but their egos are disgustingly high. Something about the back stories for the MC's...i just didn't care. This book is heavily centered around marriage of convenience *sigh*..i really could not care about the marriage. I think i gotta care about the marriage before I read anymore. The whole book is based on marriage and the things that come with it or after it. ( Trying not to spoil stuff ). Im normally a huge fan of marriage of convenience tropes but man...I dont think this book is for me right now. Maybe ill come back to it another time.

Ohhhhhh goodness. I'm giving this three stars because it seems like a nice, safe, reasonable amount. But really, I don't know what exactly to think about this book, or how to categorize it on a scale of relative goodness.

So on the one hand, I was pretty engaged the whole time, both of the protagonists were alright, and there was a cute cat. And smut! It's a Tessa Bailey, so there was good smut (though the dirty talk got weird sometimes).

Spoilers ahead!

On the other, there was the plot. I think I might have bought the marriage of convenience that the entire book is centered around a little bit better if they had known each other beyond a few snarky exchanges prior to the wedding. And, more importantly, I would have bought them falling madly in love to the degree that they decide to stay in their marriage if it had taken them longer than TWO WEEKS to come to that decision.

I'm not against marriage of convenience plots (I'm looking at you, "Winter's Orbit") but this one truly just befuddled me. I didn't not like it? I mean, I had a fun time reading it. But also my brain could not physically comprehend the decisions the characters were making and why they were making them. So... three stars, and I'm leaving it at that.

This book was a super fun enemies to lovers romance... and woah were they lovers at the end. This was spicy! I really enjoyed the characters and their journey. It made me want to drink wine too, which is never a bad thing. 4 stars!

I love Tessa, okay? I loved the first book in this series. I kind of loved *parts* of this one...but wow, did I struggle with Natalie and August's story. It took me two weeks to read it, and that only happens when I'm not connecting with the characters. The setup was there, waiting to be moulded into something perfect, but sadly the execution fell flat. I didn't actually understand the draw Natalie and August had to one another at all, especially since it seemed like they went from hating each other to being in love in about thirty seconds flat. I wanted to feel growth between them, and experience an actual connection, but it just never happened. It was very much insta-love in a trope that I usually enjoy, which is what killed this whole book for me.

Natalie is on the verge of professional success as a hotshot investor in New York City when one trade goes bad. She is fired and her fiancé dumps her. Crushed, she runs home to the family vineyard in Napa, but that's not a long-term fix either because of old family problems. If she could just get her hands on her trust fund, she could return to New York and start over. But her estranged father won't let her have the money unless she's gainfully employed and married. Enter August, a former SEAL and current failure at becoming a winemaker, which just happens to be her expertise. Unfortunately, they hate each others' guts. Of course, they marry to free up the money. The sex is hot, but their snotty, mean, aggressive banter got tiring really fast, and honestly, they acted like children a lot of the time (purple nurple? seriously?) They fall deeply in love. The end.

Tessa Bailey is the queen of romance. She just is. End of story.

Natalie and August cannot stand each other. The sexual tension is strong for sure, but a wine event gone wrong causes them to be at each other's throats. When Natalie fails to convince her father to release her trust fund without meeting it's archaic terms and August fails to aquire a small business loan to continue his best friends dream, a plan is hatched.

Though they both insist it's just a marriage of convenience, it becomes clear that both parties are in it for the long haul

I loved these characters so much and have enjoyed getting to know them in this story. August is a huge teddy bear. Big strong SEAL man brought to his knees by a petite and feisty woman. The spice is well done and the tension is delicious. All the stars.

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey

The much anticipated follow up to Secretly Yours, Natalie Vos, of the renowned Vos Vineyards, returns home after she loses her job AND fiance in NY. After literally drowning her sorrows in vino, she is ready for a comeback in NY, only to find out she can't access the money in her trust until she is married.

August Cates is a floundering winemaker with no experience or money to pursue his fallen friend's life-long dream. Natalie and August can't stand each other. She insulted his wine and he thinks she is a spoiled wine heiress. But they need the other's help and connections, so August agrees to a sham marriage in order for both of them to get what they want.

The underlying and subtle chemistry becomes hard to ignore once the two are under the same roof.... Tessa Bailey's steam level is to be expected but I appreciated the inclusion of deeper issues of anxiety and PTSD to give the characters substantial backgrounds.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.

Marriage of convenience? Yes please!

Tessa Bailey never disappoints and this book just proves my point! I was hooked from the very first page and though there was one or two moments that wasn’t my favourite this book still ended up being a 4.5 star!

I loved the main characters and the banter was so fun!

Overall I highly recommend this book!

I have mixed thoughts about this book. both characters were pretty immature and downright mean to each other at points. But then they could also be super sweet and adorable. The tone was all over the place but overall it was an enjoyable book

Tessa Bailey does not need my help, her books are beloved. I haven't had a chance to read Unfortunately Yours, but it was purchased as an eBook and a physical book for my library. I will absolutely be recommending this book through reader's advisory.

Lighthearted and spicy, this was a fun installment by Tessa Bailey. I really appreciate a marriage of convenience trope, and I was so happy that there was a third act fight instead of third act breakup.

August Cates is a DREAM. He takes boy obsessed to a new perfect level. He fell first and HARD and I love how protective he was of Natalie even when they “hated” each other. I love August and Natalie’s dynamic. They are hot and fiery and funny and charming and tender. They were so fun to read about. And obviously the spicy scenes were immaculate as expected from Tessa Bailey. I really enjoyed this one!!

I would warn you to have a box of tissues on stand by because August, the hero in this book is just freaking amazing and swoon worthy and will absolutely make you tear up because he is so sweet. In this enemies to lovers story between August and Natalie, the dialogues between the two and the sensual chemistry was off the charts. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it even though I was sobbing my way through it. It is second book of the Vine Mess series but can be read as a standalone.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.