Natalie and August’s story in Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey, book two in the Vine Mess series is a wonderful, heartwarming, heartbreaking, funny and steamy, enemies-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, and unexpected love story.

Ex-Navy Seal, August Cates started a winery in honor of his fallen best friend, as he struggles with guilt, feelings of failure, and frustration on many levels. Natalie Vos has her share of struggles, as her teenage reputation follows her, her fiancée dumped her, and her career is in shambles. Meeting over August’s horrible wine and not seeing eye to eye, Natalie and August decide that a marriage of convenience would benefit them both financially; August can get the bank loan he needs, and Natalie can receive her inheritance and start her own company. However, their marriage of convenience is anything but convenient, especially as their attraction, confusing feelings, and forced proximity become more difficult to resist and deny. There’s a lot of bickering, practical jokes, and pranks thinking it would distance them; instead, they find they are learning to understand each other. They were sensitive to each other’s pain and trauma and insecurities. With magnetic attraction and sparking chemistry, there is a tender understanding and profound respect as August and Natalie unexpectedly find that they have been hit by cupid’s arrow and not only love each other but that they are each other’s perfect match. While this book goes into the idea of grief and life post-serving for August, we see him learn to forgive himself and love again. Natalie learns that she is important and loveable without having to earn that love.
I highly recommend Unfortunately Yours to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

August is an Ex Navy Seal himbo who's unsuccessfully trying to make a go of a winery in his friends memory and Natalie who is trying to put her life back together after a colossal career meltdown. Turns out if she wants to access her trust fund she has to get married. I adore a marriage of convenience but in contemporaries, it's kind of ridiculous. Anyway, I suspended disbelief and trudged on. They get married, put an expiration date on it, banter a lot and say lots of quippy things. Then they have sex and there's a lot of cringe-dirty talk. Why are these heroes referring to the vag as a thing now? Ew, no. There are also a zillion side plots and family things and characters and other stuff that added nothing to the relationship development. Speaking of relationship development, there was none. They pretty much go from rivals to lovers to I Love You more than Chocolate in a blink. The relationship was most definitely only sexual and it's insta love all the way. I eat it up with a spoon but only when I am super invested in the characters and in this case, I wasn't.

This was an improvement over the first book but I never connected fully with anyone. The pacing was weird, there was too much going on and by the halfway mark I was ready for it to be over.

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey might be my favorite by this author yet. First, this author can write no wrong in my book! I love all her books and they only keep getting better. This book brings the fake marriage trope to life as both Natalie and August are looking for things the other can help provide. But in true Tessa Bailey fashion, they realize there is more to this fake marriage. Without giving away spoilers, I will just say they are perfect together! Will HIGHLY and ALWAYS recommend this author and this book!

Ever since they met in book one Secretly Yours, Natalie Vos, daughter of a prominent Napa Valley wine family, and August Cates, former Navy SEAL and failed vintner , have clashed. He's ready to give up on his vineyard and move back home to Kansas when Natalie offers him a deal. A fake marriage to release her trust fund and the tie to the Vos name to get approval on a business loan for his vineyard. But in this small town is hard to hide secrets, so they must make this marriage look real. Soon enough their fake marriage leads to real feelings.
Natalie felt overlooked her while life and I'm glad that she was able to finally stand up to her family and show her worth. She was a perfect match for goofy, fun loving cinnamon roll hero August. I love how real he was written, always putting his foot in his mouth and doing the wrong thing, but so protective and loving. He's true book boyfriend material. I think this is my favorite Tessa Bailey book so far!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book much more than I did Secretly Yours. I think Natalie and August are the perfect enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience couple. This book had me no joke laughing out loud, my friends thought I was nuts. I love August’s gruff exterior and yet his cinnamon roll insides that really are just soft and gooey. Natalie is the same way, but her soft parts have been hurt and she protects them with layers and layers of armor. I think marriages of convenience are so fun and always end up with crazy drama, but I also loved that this one had pranks! Give me a great prank war any day! Oh and of course, this is Tessa so the spice was on point, so good!

You could definitely read this as a stand alone and skip secretly yours, but you will miss seeing Natalie and August’s first meeting that subsequently sets them up for their enemies situation that starts this book.

After losing her job and her fiancée, Natalie returns to her family vineyard to regroup. She needs the money in her trust fund to start her own business, but can't get access until she marries. In desperation, she makes a deal with struggling winemaker August: if he marries her, she'll help him get a business loan. Despite the animosity between them, he agrees. Will their simmering attraction lead to more?

This book is a joy from start to finish. It's funny (really funny), uplifting, and emotional, with steamy scenes that will set your e-reader on fire. August is a clown but also a Navy SEAL, and the combination works well for creating an utterly believable, adorable, and heroic character. Natalie is very much his equal. She's strong, savvy, and snarky, but squishy underneath. The banter between them is epic. This novel is on par with IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER. Don't miss it!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The follow up to the vine series and this marriage of connivence romance book was so much fun. In true Tess Bailey style, it’s fun, hot, steamy and full of banter.

The tension between Natalie and August was so hot, with chemistry filled moments through their witty banters and the spicy moments that seemed to happen from every page. It was like their chemistry had a life of its own, their bickering and opposites attract and it was so much fun seeing them fall for each other! I loved their witty banter and chemistry. It was so good. It was my favorite part of the book. The dialogue was so entertaining. I am straight up obsessed with these two. It is a fast read and it does have some angsty moments and harder topics touch up on but it makes sense for their character arc. Unfortunately Yours was fun, spicy, endearing, and the epilogue was everything!!! I highly recommend. If you’re looking for a romcom to devour

Unfortunately Yours is the second book in the A Vine Mess series, but is a complete standalone. I will be the first to admit that I wasn't a huge fan of the first book, but I absolutely love Tessa Bailey as a writer and put my faith in her and this book and am so glad I did. This book was fun, steamy, full of banter and just the right combination of everything that I wanted in a romcom.

Natalie Vos has returned home after a major financial blunder in NYC that left her unemployed and dumped by her fiancé. She is back home, living in the guest house on her family's vineyard in Napa Valley trying to figure out her next move. She needs funds in order to start her own firm. Only stipulation that her father left to gain her trust fund? She must be married. Enter her worst best match...

August Cates is an ex Navy Seal that has started his own winery because of something one of his friends wanted but never got to achieve. But he is HORRIBLE at it. With a capital H. The wine is so bad that he catches the eye of Natalie and they banter like no one's business. They are funny and poke each other in all the best ways, but those things push them together, yet make them some sort of enemies. Enemies to lovers if you will. August has made his last batch of wine and can't get a business loan, so he is giving up the dream, until a Marriage of Convenience lands in his lap.

OMG! This story was full of sexual tension and laugh out loud moments right from the start. With the very first line of the book, I was hooked. There was no denying I was going to enjoy this story! Mix the humor with Tessa's notorious spicy scenes and you have a great romcom full of banter and an enjoyable story of Opposites Attract. I loved August and his patience for a woman that was misunderstood and constantly under estimated by her family. He knew her worth and he was going to give it to her, whether she wanted it or not. And Natalie? She was fierce in her own right and stood her ground through everything. She wanted to support August and his endeavors, but she was a bit more timid because she had been burned before.

So what happens when a marriage of convenience turns into a fake marriage, turns into a slow burn romance? It turns into a delightful, spicy love story of epic proportions.

If you enjoy:
Opposites Attract
Enemies to lover
Marriage of convenience
He Falls First
Forced/Close Proximity
Romcom of the spicy variety, you will enjoy Unfortunately Yours.
If you're like me and didn't particularly care for Secretly Yours and are hesitant to jump into this one, have faith and enjoy these two characters that shine and are a perfect match

In the authors note, Bailey says that Natalie and August are her favorite characters she’s written and, after reading this book, it’s easy to see why! Natalie is a spunky, driven firecracker with a tough exterior and heart of gold. August is the Navy SEAL who’s so much deeper and complex than meets the eye. Together, they’re *chefs kiss*

In typical Bailey fashion, Unfortunately Yours is a whirlwind romance full of playful, sexy banter, touching moments, lots of laughs, and spice!

While I didn’t love how both Natalie and August’s characters tended to border on stereotypical, I really appreciated that Bailey would add a twist or complexity to each character just when it was needed. Their story kept me on my toes and curious to see how everything unfolded!

Overall, I really enjoyed Unfortunately Yours and recommend it for a fun, lighthearted read!

LIKES:
👥 Dual POV (Natalie & August)
💍 Marriage of convenience
⚔️ Enemies to Lovers
🍇 Napa Valley setting
💬 Playful banter
🌶️ Spicy
🚀 Fast paced

The way this book got me out of a reading slump.

4⭐️/5
3🌶️ /5

My favorites:
-chemistry/tension between MCs was glorious. The love-hate banter had me swooning.
-The plot centres around wine making and Wall Street, none of which I have any vested interest in so I appreciated the brevity of both.
-HEA!
-no third act break up - although I was expecting it!
-the comedy!

My not-so-faves:
-family dynamics - brother/sister and mother/daughter - the first few mentions were a bit triggering but I was able to sweep right through the rest with no/mild feelings.
-grief/loss

Unfortunately Yours is book 2 in this series. I wasn’t sure about it initially bc I did not connect with the MCs in Book 1, Secretly Yours. I really enjoyed Unfortunately Yours! It is a fun read with several spicy moments and light drama.

I didn't love the first book in this series and I am so glad I didn't give up continue on with the series. I loved Secretly Yours! This was the perfect marriage of convenience story. The first line caught my attention and kept me interested the whole story. I love August with how goofy he is despite being a former SEAL and how honest he was with his feelings for Natalie.

Natalie is a tough on the outside and had more internal issues with some difficult family dynamics. I enjoyed seeing her growth and seeing how Natalie and August's relationship developed. This one was full of laughs and 🔥🔥.

Thank you @avonbooks @netgalley for a copy of this book.

When I had reviewed “Secretly Yours,” I had written:
We'll see if "Unfortunately Yours" is better, the way "Hook, Line and Sinker" was better than "It Happened One Summer."

And it is.

Both Natalie and August have feisty temperaments that match up with their love scenes in the book (unlike Julian and Hallie in the last book). It’s a great plot point that they had equally big financial secrets to hide from each other (namely, that each had lines of credit suddenly open up right around the time of their wedding).

Both have years of personal failings to overcome, and things to prove to those around them. August does have a big mouth and a tendency to blurt out first, think about it later. Which of course gets him into a lot of hot water.

Natalie’s practical jokes on August were some of the funniest scenes in the book.

I think you can read this without the first book and not miss much.

After committing a huge professional error and losing her fiancé in one fell swoop, Natalie Vos wants/needs her trust fund to be released so she can go back to NYC and save face by opening her own financial business. The only problem is the stipulation that she be married and employed. Enter... August Cates - former Navy SEAL, current owner of a failing winery who needs some capital fast, and Natalie's chosen partner for a marriage of convenience.

This book felt like a giant step backwards for feminism. Not only are the terms surrounding the trust fund maddening, but I'm getting bored with Tessa Bailey's leading men. I'm aware that her brand is alpha males who use their physical prowess to achieve their objectives and feel better about themselves, but they're all different versions of the same caveman. I would love to see some evolution in the men (and the women who are attracted to them). Is that so much to ask in 2023?

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager via NetGalley for gifting me an ARC to review!

Natalie is back in her Napa Valley hometown trying to figure out how to break back into the NYC investment world. August is trying unsuccessfully to run a winery. Together, they see a way to help each other out. All they have to do is get married.

I love Tessa Bailey. I always know exactly what I’m getting when I read one of her books and this was no exception. Here’s what I loved:

🍷 The wine background. It was fun to see inside of the wine industry. Natalie grew up in a family of experts and uses that to help August.

🍷 Enemies to lovers…sorta. It’s clear very early that August has feelings for Natalie. I liked the way this was portrayed. He’s pining for her and wants her even while they fight.

🍷 August. He is a new book boyfriend. He’s an ex- navy Seal with a hilarious sense of humor. I adored him. He had me laughing constantly. But he also had a heart of gold and is fiercely loyal.

🍷 the writing. As always, Bailey has a sharp sense of humor and a keen eye for character that comes through the pages. Oh and she’s good at writing those spicy scenes!

-fake marriage
-ex military.
-enemies to lovers
-he falls first.

🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷/5

Can we just all agree that Tessa Bailey knows how to mix banter and steam? Not to mention I love the way she writes her male love interests #swoon !

We first met August and Natalie in Tessa Bailey’s Secretly Yours. And now in this sequel we get to see their story! I love a good enemies to lovers story and this one did not disappoint.

Happy Pub Day 📚❤️ and thank you for the book mail and ARC @avonbooks @tessabailey @netgalley This was the perfect beach read!

This is definitely my new favorite Tessa Bailey book! I’m not gonna lie, I was nervous because Secretly Yours was not my fave but this one was much more my speed!

It had my favorite tropes - enemies to loves and marriage of convenience. It’s honestly probably one of my favorite marriage of convenience stories over all.

I genuinely loved every moment; the tension, the banter, the jokes, the spice & of course August - he was *chefs kiss*

This book honestly pulled me out of my reading slump & I was able to finish it in one day!

*Thank you so much to netgalley for the earc and the publisher for sending me a physical copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!*

Natalie Vos is a wine heiress who has been a bit down on her luck. In order to receive her trust fund and rebuild her life she has to get married thanks to a clause her estranged dad included. She enters a marriage of convenience with a guy she can’t stand: Navy SEAL veteran August Cates. August is trying to fulfill his late best friend’s dream of owning a vineyard, but is doing a terrible job, and he needs Natalie’s expertise to help him. While this marriage has the possibility to help them both in different ways, their undeniable attraction could turn it into something real.

Tess Bailey does it again. The witty banter, the chemistry, the STEAM. This book does all of it so perfectly. August and Natalie were so good together, even when they weren’t getting along. I particularly loved August for being so tough but such a giant softie inside. The way he cared for Natalie was just so sweet. This book was exactly what I needed after a bit of a reading slump.

Thanks to Avon Books for the gifted copy.

Love Tessa Bailey. Her books never disappoint. Steam, chemistry, and a great story. This one is a page turner; fake engagement/marriage of convenience can be tricky to pull off in contemporary settings but this one was a delight to read and well executed

I absolutely adored this! Tessa Bailey does it again! I’ve been devouring all of her books. They’re easy to eat, funny, and just so good! The tropes?! This one was FULL of them and I cannot get enough. I’m so thankful that I got to read this early!

I must have been in a Tessa Bailey slump because I've been reading a lot of her books and feel like it is repeative. However, I still enjoyed it. The characters in her books are always fun and witty, so the banter is always good. I think I might have to take a little Tessa Bailey break and then go back to enjoy this book. It is def a good summer read and very quick. Overall, I'd give it 4/5.