Tessa Bailey is one of my all-time favorite romance authors. Her books never disappoint. Unfortunately Yours is the companion to Secretly Yours, which is the book in which Julian Vos and Hallie found their happily ever after.

This book focuses on Natalie Vos, Julian's sister--the family disappointment, the daughter who left New York without a job and an ex-fiancé in her rearview, and who is currently crashing in the guest cottage at her family's winery, day-drinking and plotting her triumphant return to the city. She needs capital in order to return to New York and start her own investment firm--all she needs is her trust fund, and she'll be good to go. Unfortunately, her father requires her to not only have a job in order for it to be released to her--she also has to be married. Enter August Cates--ex-Navy Seal, the maker of the WORST wine in the valley, and the hottest mistake she almost made. He needs a loan from the bank in order to save his business, so she proposes. Literally, proposes. A marriage of convenience to last a month in order to secure his loan and her trust fund. But in order for that to work, they have to convince the town--and more importantly the crotchety trust fund trustee--that their marriage is legitimate.

They get married, she moves in, and well, things heat up from there. They can't seem to stop fighting, but they also can't seem to stop kissing. This marriage of convenience starts to feel very real, very quickly.

I LOVED IT. It was one-hundred-percent, absolutely, incredibly delightful. Tessa writes books that make me laugh out loud, and cry, and also need to fan myself and hydrate afterward. Don't let the illustrated covers fool you. She is the QUEEN of dirty talk and bedroom antics. If I thought Julian and Hallie's story was incredible, Tessa outdid herself with Natalie and August. They're maybe one of my favorite Tessa Bailey couples. And that's saying something considering I've read almost her complete backlist.

Thank you so much Avon for sending me a finished copy, and Netgalley for my e-ARC.

Unfortunately Yours! The second book in the Vine Mess series by Tessa Bailey.

You'll love this book if you love:⁠
💍 marriage of convenience
😒 enemies to 😏 lovers ⁠
🌩️ grumpy girl and ☀️ sunshine boy
💞 guy falls first ⁠

Loved the book but I didn't marathon read it so 4.5 stars!
⁠
rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨⁠
trope: see above⁠
genre: contemporary romance⁠
spice: 🌶️⁠ ⁠🌶️🌶️

Thank you sm to Netgalley and the publisher for the early e-copy and paperback! All thoughts are my own, duh.

I have really loved some of Tessa Bailey's books and I was excited to read her new release. This was the second in a series and the hero and heroine from the first in the series pop up in this book also but it still was readable as a stand alone novel. I didn't feel like I missed anything by not having read the first book. I liked this book well enough. Natalie was an interesting character and was both vulnerable and tough at the same time and I really loved the dichotomy of her character. August was intense and I liked him a lot - especially how he learns throughout the book like how to do better in his relationship with Natalie. They had a lot of obvious chemistry which was palpable in the reading. Their relationship was a tad too combustible for me but they were also very passionate about each other. Overall this was a good read that I enjoyed but I wouldn't say that I was nuts about it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Publishing: June 6, 2023
Series: A Vine Mess #2
Pages: 384

So, I missed reading the first in this series but was delighted to get this second that turns out to be a fake marriage of convenience romance by Tessa Bailey, who I have come to enjoy as an author. “Unfortunately Yours” is funny and fiery romance novel. The characters were likeable individuals that could have almost fall into unrememberable people, but alas they never did. I loved the chemistry, sparks and banter between Natalie and August and that little bit of steamy that gets my approval. This is a heartwarming and sweet story that you will surely like and one I recommend.

Wow! Another winner for Tessa Bailey! A fake marriage trope, with a lot of volatility between these two. This is the second book in this series so we are back in St. Helena wine country, and August and Natalie were a hoot. August is a big doofus but what a great hero. Even though Natalie wasn’t sure about the relationship they both found their HEA. Another fabulous story. Ms. Bailey never lets me down!

Every Tessa book I read I finish and say “that’s the best one yet!” But I think I mean it this time for good. This book has everything you could want. A sarcastic as all heck couple who enter a relationship out of convenience. Yes please! I adore the growth we see in these two, but I was so so so here for their banter. They’re so real and authentic, and an actual couple. Some writers forget to make their characters human, but not Tessa. This book was amazing and I’m so excited for everyone to be able to enjoy it NOW!!

Thank you Avon for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!!

I loved the first book in the series and couldn’t wait to be back at Vos vineyard! It was fun getting to know both August and Natalie. They knew surface level information about each other and they slowly grew to respect each other. The dual pov was perfect and we got to see some Julian and Hallie. This was the perfect steamy summer romance!

Rating: 4/5
Warnings: difficult family dynamics, PTSD, and death of a friend
Steam: 3/5

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for this advanced copy, all opinions are my own

surprise of the last week, I really really enjoyed unfortunately yours.

TB is hit or miss for me personally, I’ve really loved some books for her and also really disliked some books. With the first one in this series being a miss for me, I was hesitant to pick it up.

But it’s one of my favorite tropes and @exercise_read_repeat told me I would like this one. Jesse has never steered me wrong!

It was a bit insta-love but overall it worked for the story and the couple. I felt the steam really matched the vibe of the story and was well done!

I liked secretly yours, which was the first book in the series but unfortunately yours is actually one of my new fave Tessa Bailey books. I enjoy a marriage of convenience book and this was full of banter and chemistry and very interesting characters.

The promise of the book was promising from the start. When there was a marriage of convenience I feel like it really Hass to be needed and not just put in to get the characters together. Here Natalie is recovering from losing her job and her fiancé, and needs her trust in order to build a business. August needs capital in order to save his friends vineyard. Both of the reasons makes sense and they do have a chemistry, even though there was a dislike as well.

I love seeing how Natalie was actually very strong and how she often put August in his place. I loved that you could see how August wanted to take care of Natalie, but their banter was amazing throughout the book .

This is a steamy, fun romcom that delivers with both chemistry and witty banter between all of the characters I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

Fun romp in this wine country world. I liked this one better than the previous. Both have pretty contrived and silly situations but I could handle this one a bit more. The characters had a good dynamic and felt true to themselves.

Tessa Bailey writes in such a way that we feel like part of the story, and she evokes real life emotions from her readers to correspond with her story. Her dialogue is phenomenal, her character building is awesome, and her settings are always perfect.

Her newest release, Unfortunately Yours, will surely make readers laugh and tear up all summer long.

Romance fans, this one is a MUST.

I swear Tessa Bailey is a writing machine! This is the latest in her “A Vine Mess” series.
Picking up from Secretly Yours, this follows Natalie Vos’ return to her family winemaking roots in the Napa Valley and her desire to return to the world of finance in NYC.
It also introduces Austin Cates, a retired Navy SEAL-turned-vineyard owner who is a bit clueless (but well-intentioned) when it comes to winemaking. Both need money to make those dreams realities and a sham marriage of convenience might solve both of their problems. But the real question: will feelings become blurred in the process? For that answer, you’ll have to read for yourself! This was a fun two-novel series from Tessa Bailey, sure to be a favorite among wine and romance fans, alike.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. Happy release week!

Happy Wednesday y'all! I meant to write this post yesterday on the actual release day of Unfortunately Yours, but life got in the way, so here it is today! I was not a huge fan of book one is this series, not because of the writing, world building etc, but because I really did not like the characters in the first book. This book, however, was amazing!
Unfortunately Yours 5/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
A down-on-her-luck Napa heiress suggests a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience to a man she can't stand... only to discover there's a fine line between love and hate.
After losing her job and her fiancé in one fell swoop, Natalie Vos returned home to lick her wounds. A few months later, she's sufficiently drowned her sorrows in cabernet and she's ready to get back on her feet. She just needs her trust fund to finance her new business venture. Unfortunately, the terms require she marry before she can have the money. And well, dumped, remember? But Natalie is desperate enough to propose to a man who makes her want to kill him--and kiss him, in equal measure.
August Cates may own a vineyard, but he doesn't know jack about making wine. He's determined to do his late best friend proud, no matter what it takes. Except his tasting room is empty, his wine is disgusting (seriously, he once saw someone gag), and his buddy's legacy is circling the drain. No bank will give him the loan he needs to turn the business around... and then the gorgeous, feisty heiress knocks on his door. Natalie has haunted his dreams since the moment they met, but their sizzling chemistry immediately morphed into simmering insults.
Now, a quickie marriage could help them both. A sham wedding, a few weeks living under the same roof, and then they can go their separate ways--assuming they make it out alive. How hard could it be? There's just one thing they didn't account for: their unfortunate, unbearable, undeniable attraction.
After book one, I knew I was going to really enjoy Natalie and August's book, but man, I did not realize just how much I was going to like it! August and Natalie had the perfect level of chemistry, banter, and spiciness to make them an amazing couple- plus I do love how they made this plan to have a fake marriage to get themselves what they wanted/needed money wise, yet come wedding day, neither of them actually had to go through with the wedding, because they had secured ways around it, yet they both got married and loved it. Nicole working through her trauma and then August working through his and them helping each other with that and growing closer as a fact was so cute to watch (well, read really). I even liked Hallie and Jonathan, who I was not fans of in book one, in Unfortunately Yours, which I was so excited about! Overall, I really enjoyed Unfortunately Yours and I cannot wait for y'all to read it! Be sure to pick it up today!

Another good Tessa Bailey book! I didn’t love this one as much as the first in this series just because I didn’t see myself as much in the MCs of this one. I still loved the two main characters and I loved their drive and determination. Plus I love a good military leading man in a romance! And the spice oh does Tessa Bailey know how to do great spice!! Definitely one to pick up if you’re a Tessa Bailey fan!

Tessa Bailey has been, and always will be, one of my favorite authors. Not only does she write swoon-worthy romances that leave me gasping for air, she also writes incredibly real stories with raw emotions and conflict. I was so ready for her to do a marriage of convenience (one of my favorite tropes), and she knocked it out of the park. August and Natalie were EVERYTHING. Their story was so cute and amazing and I will think about them forever. I can't wait for Tessa's next installment!

Admittedly, I was a bit wary of beginning this book. Secretly Yours (the first book in the series) didn't work for me. I had a hard time connecting with the main characters but enjoyed snippets of Natalie and August's interactions. I was willing to give the second book in the series a chance with the hope that Tessa Bailey's signature dirty talking hero worked this time around... I am happy to report it worked splendidly.

We meet Natalie in book one. She's the sister of the hero in that book. All we know is that she escaped the city from her high profile job and is no longer engaged. After spending some time drowning her sorrows in wine she decided to start her life over but needs her inheritance money to do it. Unfortunately, her estranged father has the stipulation that Natalie must be married and holding a job to access it. Enter August, a former SEAL trying to open his own winery in honor of a fellow SEAL. August knows nothing about wine and is having a hard time keeping the business afloat. He needs to secure a bank loan or close down the vineyard. Natalie and August decide to join together into a fake relationship until they can both become financially viable. They have to put aside their bickering and differences to make this sham marriage believable. For August, it's hard not to let your wife know you've been in love with her since the moment you met.

A lot of books purport to be enemies to lovers but I could actually feel the tension in the beginning of this one. August is gone for her from the moment that Natalie walked into his vineyard in book 1. Natalie has an enormous amount of growing she needs to do to be a partner and wife. August gave her that room to realize her feelings and make her own decisions regarding her life plan. August has plenty of "my wife" moments and I was happy to find he's one of Bailey's dirty talkers. He was so protective of Natalie and stuck up for her when her mother would belittle her. Their chemistry was off the charts. We do get some check in's with book one's couple, Julian and Hallie. I'm not sure how it's possible but I liked them even less in this book.

My vote is to skip book one and jump right into Unfortunately Yours because it may end up being one of my favorite books of the year. Is it cheesy? Sure, but I lapped up every word of it.

Pick this one up if you want: my wife vibes, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, marriage of convenience, small town, complicated family dynamics, search and rescue, ex military hero, starting over, prank wars, hero falls first, strong heroine, hero with a cat.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Bailey, and Avon Harper Voyager for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #tessaBailey #avonharpervoyager #avinemess #UnfortunatelyYours

OH swoon! August is pure perfection as his imperfect, golden retriever ways! Natalie, after near disaster of hooking up with August, is determined to hate him. And he plays along even though he wouldn’t mind making her his forever. But he can’t outright say that. But when Natalie needs to be married to get her trust money and August needs money in order to keep it going, Natalie suggests something she never dreamed of. Fake marrying August. And he is ALL IN!

I just loved it. Both had an opportunity to back out. A way to fulfill their dreams without having to marry. But unbeknownst to each other, they decline that opportunity and marry anyway. It is so sweet and watching them warm up to each other and seeing the back and forth turn into a heartwarming relationship is perfection. August is the very best. He a former Navy Seal and is opening a vineyard for his fallen best friend. Outward, a happy go lucky guy, he has something’s haunting him. And Natalie inadvertently helps him to come out of a dark haze that he sometimes go in. The swoon is off the charts. The content is a wide open door. There are swears. But August and Natalie FOREVER!

Book is second in the series but can be read as a standalone. Writing is solid as always, keeping the reader engaged. Fun marriage of convenience trope.

August is a retired Navy SEAL who is trying to keep his friend's dream alive by starting a winery, Natalie is back in Napa, staying at her family's winery after a huge setback in her career and personal relationships. They both need to find a way to make things work for them, August's wine is awful and he needs more money to keep the whole operating going, and Natalie wants to try and jumpstart her career and they both need money. If Natalie gets married, her trust fund will kick in, and she'll be able to help August get a loan, it's a win-win. What follows is a hilarious story of love and compromise.

This is the second story in the Vine Mess series, and I enjoyed this one much more than the first. I felt like the story really took off once the wedding took place. The marriage of conveneince trope really worked for me in this, and I absolutely loved how much of a sucker August was for Natalie. Some of their banter had me actually laughing out loud, and I was happy with how the characters dealt with August's funding for his winery.

Thank you Avon books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow, I really enjoyed this!! Tessa always does banter and steam SO well! I def enjoyed this one better than Secretly Yours!

* marriage of convenience
* forced proximity
* small town
* great banter and steam
* a cinnamon roll and domineering hero - YES PLEASE

I gotta say.. August stole the show for me! He is such a GEM!! He is an ex-marine trying to make his vineyard a success and Natalie is trying to find her place after her life falls apart in NYC. I think these two complimented each other well and it was clear from the beginning they had great chemistry and a connection.

Overall, if you're looking for a spicy romcom - def pick this up!

Rating: 4 stars!