Natalie Vos's life is falling apart. Because of a bad choice she lost her job and her fiance in one fell swoop. Natalie decides to hightail it out of New York City and head back to Napa where her family is. Over the years her family may never have cared if she was around but Natalie needed a change of scenery. Natalie's family runs Vos Vineyards so she spends her time drinking a little wine....ok...a lot...trying to drown her sorrows. Not wanting to stay in the mansion with her mom, she is sleeping in the guest house with her brother, Julian. It wouldn't be so bad if Julian wasn't always having fun with his girlfriend, Hallie.

While at a wine tasting event, Natalie meets August Cates of Zelnick Cellars and a former Navy SEAL. Even though Natalie has sworn off men she is instantly attracted to August. Too bad he had to open his mouth and ruin everything, oh and his wine sucks! Now these two spend all their time tossing barbs back and forth. One minute Natalie and August want to kiss each other, the next they are out for blood.

After some time home, Natalie wants to head back to New York City and open her own company. Problem is is that she doesn't have enough money. She asks her mom for her trust fund but her mom informs her that she has to be working and married before she can have it. After one of her barbing sessions with August, Natalie hatches a plan.....her and August can get married and she will be an employee of Zelnick Cellars. She will have her money then they can divorce.

After their wedding, Natalie and August are enjoying being together. Their chemistry is off the charts and pretty soon they are acting like a real married couple. As these two spend more time together, they each start to understand the other better. When Natalie realizes the reason August is trying to make wine she offers to help but he is too proud. Just when things look like these two are getting a happy ending, the past comes back to haunt them. If Natalie and August can both get beyond their pasts, they will have a really chance at forever. In grand fashion, August does something totally unexpected and then finally Natalie realizes she is totally in love with him.

I really loved this steamy, marriage of convenience story. All of Natalie's life no one really ever saw the real her, until August came along. I just adored the way these two bantered back and forth. This story was a fun, enjoyable read and I just loved it.

Ready for a good Rom-com?

Coming in hot is the Queen of Steam, Tessa Bailey and her new book “Unfortunaly Yours”!

In this follow up to “Secretly Yours”, we are whisked back to wine country where down on her luck Vos Vineyard heiress, Natalie comes up with a brilliant plan. Marry the man she can’t stand.

Out of a job and out of love, Natalie looks to receive her trust fund but in order to do so she must be married and have a job. This is where her enemy, August Cate, who is looking for a bank loan and help with his vineyard, comes in. A sham wedding later and the pair are living under the same roof when the unexpected happens. Their undeniable attraction for each other.

As all of her other books, Tessa had me in tears from laughing so hard as well as fanning myself off from all the steaminess! In my eyes, Tessa can do no wrong and has rightfully claimed (again) her crown. If you’re looking for something that brings the heat and keep you crying from laughter run to the store and grab this book before it burns up the shelves!

Thank you Avon Books for the advanced copy of this book!

I love Natalie and August’s journey and relationship. They understood each other and helped make each other feel better. I was nervous about Natalie's character but I actually fully understand her decisions in life. Their banter and sexual tension was amazing and I loved how vulnerable August was. August is definitely one of my favorite types of heroes to read about.

I liked this better than the first one! He's a total sweetheart with a filthy mouth. If you've read Tessa, you know what you're getting. I'll recommend this for readers who want good banter and a grumpy-sunshine vibe.

I absolutely adored this book!

After loving Secretly Yours (4.5 ⭐️), I was so excited to receive an ARC of Unfortunately Yours! I’m a huge sucker for a marriage of convenience so I knew this book would be for me from page 1. Throw in some enemies-to-lovers and it was absolute perfection!

Natalie and August both had a lot of growing and discovering to do as they formed their extremely unlikely alliance through marriage, but as they worked through their grief and trauma together, they learned what the other person needed in a partner in such a beautiful way. And of course, it wouldn’t be a great Tessa Bailey book without some excellent, laugh out loud banter and a dose of spice!

Read this book if you like:
- marriage of convenience
- enemies-to-lovers
- hilarious banter
- wine country setting
- spice!

Overall, I highly recommend checking out the Vine Mess duology!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC and the publisher for the complimentary hard copy. All opinions provided are my own.

Unfortunately, Yours has:

golden retriever & cat energy
an MC defending another MC
him panicking over the possibility of her being in present danger or past
Some steam
Comfort

After not loving Secretly Yours, Tessa Bailey’s upcoming novel UNFORTUNATELY, YOURS out tomorrow, feels like a return to the hotness & the infatuation & the pure goodness of a TB dirty sex, he-will-love-her-to-the-end-of-time story.

I adore August Cates. Like in a way as big as the man himself. I love his golden retriever energy, which gives me Brent from Asking for Trouble vibes. I love when Natalie gets pissy with him, how she calls him bonehead, & how he’s basically like “I know but you want me so what does that make you” in return.

I love that you just know they will be in each other’s corners forever, defending the other from anyone else.

It’s opposites attract, class difference, marriage of convenience, dislike-ish to love, and total wish fulfillment for someone who just wants a fast, low angst, ticks all the boxes, hot read.

4.5⭐️. Out now!

CW: Heavy alcohol use. Reference to rehab, which her parents made her go to when she was younger.

[ID: Jess’s white hand holds the book in front of a chandelier wrapped in a strand of rose vine. A copse of trees is in the background.]

I have read many Tessa Bailey romances, and generally have enjoyed them. The romance felt a bit too rushed, a bit too insta-love for me. The story is supposed to be an enemies-to-lovers, fake dating/marriage trope. However, all the backstory on the 'enemies' part is not actually part of the story. The chemistry and banter between the main characters is quite book. This one is quite steamy early on for those who are looking for a steamy romance.

I loved getting to know Natalie and August. They were able to work through things together and really understand each other. I loved the setting and their personalities! I had a fun time reading this book!

What a fun book! I adored the banter between Natalie and August. Their marriage of convenience was so well written, and I loved how it played out. The characters were all great, the writing flowed nicely, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. 4.5 stars rounded up!

This book was a delightful marriage of convenience book. This is the sequel to Secretly Yours and I have to say I think I liked this one just a smidge better. Tessa has this way of writing these witty and unique characters that really pull you into her stories and holds you captivated. You can’t help but fall in love with her books and the worlds that she has crafted; this story is an amazing take on the grumpy/sunshine/golden retriever troupe and I floved it.

Natalie is so blunt and confident in all she does. She has this strong personality that is also a takes no prisoners vibe that you can’t help but relate to. But she is also layered and nuanced in ways that you couldn’t have prepared for. Reading her was overall incredibly refreshing, from her differing relationships between her with her parents and her brother to her trying to find where she ultimately belongs in this world it was beautiful to watch. Additionally, the unapologetic way that she banters, and roasts August will leave you with a smile on your face. I just love their dynamic it’s fantastic.

August is the perfect book boyfriend; he is so incredibly attentive and sensitive towards Natalie that it will make your heart melt into a puddle on the floor. This man can do no wrong in my book; he cooks for her he calls her princess gahhhhhh I just need one of him all for myself. But then on the flip side the dirty mouth that this man has will melt your kindle. It’s always the quite ones you have to look out for because dang this book was so much hotter than the first and I freaking devoured every dirty minute.

Thank GOODNESS! Tessa redeemed herself from the first book in this series. Honestly, I felt like someone was pulling my leg when I read 'Secretly Yours'. There was NO way, Tessa wrote that-- nothing about it reminded me of Tessa's other masterpieces. I gave it two stars instead of one because of home much I like Tessa Bailey.

NOW this.....this was like someone was singing "Tessa's baaaaaack!" I just loved Natalie and August-- both apart and together. I practically inhaled the book! What a lovely summer read that gives you ALL of the feels.

Quick recap:
We meet Natalie and August in the first book in the series, and really they were the only nice part about that book. Their chemistry is on fire and know EXACTLY which buttons to push to piss each other off, and their favorite thing to do is press said button. In order for her to get her trust fund and for him to get a loan, they end up married. They go from enemies to lover to dream team after that.

August is a character very much in the 'Brendan-vein' of Tessa's heros. So if you are needing a Brendan-fix, pick up this book!

Thank you #NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

”if i had one wish, it would be to slow down my time with you, natalie. a hundred years won’t be enough.” ♡₊˚

finished reading this just in time for it’s release!

this was a huge step up from the first book for me, but honestly even then it wasn’t a big favorite of mine. not that there’s anything wrong with it, but i think tessa bailey’s writing is starting to become not for me. i feel like she dives deep with the characters internal thoughts and always includes so much description and explanation. and like i said, nothing wrong with that at all, but personally it takes me out of the book for some reason. also, some of the monikers and things she says is just cringe worthy sometimes and i don’t know if i can continue to do it lmao

i really enjoyed natalie and august’s story, though it was a smidge too lust-to-love at first sight for me. the banter was hilarious, though, and i love how whipped august was for natalie. the plot was alright, but i felt like a lot happened really quickly and i wish things had been more paced, personally. i am glad i decided to give this one a chance, though, because i think if i could stop being so critical of everything then it would’ve been a really fun book! i did enjoy my time reading it, and i think a lot of other people will to!

huge thank you to avon and harper voyager, as well as netgalley, for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

By this point, I know what I'm getting into with a Tessa Bailey romance. Unfortunately Yours delivered exactly what I wanted - a super SUPER hot romance with delicious banter and comedic moments that had me snorting out loud. Also there is a hilarious cat.

If you are a fan of Bailey's generally then I think that this will be a book you will ultimately enjoy. A lot of Bailey's books can, for me, be sorted into two categories, those that balance the smut with angst and positive character growth in a way that lessons the alpha male-ness of a lot of her characters and those that tend to be just super hot and I think Unfortunately Yours fits into that second category.

I really like Natalie and August from the first "A Vine Mess" offering and was excited for their book. Marriage of Convenience is such a hard trope to pull off well in contemporary romance and I think this one worked well. The stakes felt real and deep and I was incredibly invested right away. August is an ex-SEAL and there are some great moments that utilize his past trauma and experience that had me riveted. Natalie has her own trauma and I liked how they balanced each other out.

August is very possessive and jealous and for me it mostly worked. I think for a lot of readers it won't work as well. I think because August is SO possessive and jealous that at times it over shadows when Natalie is trying to speak up for herself? Because his trauma needs to be addressed and he needs to be placated before he will really listen to what Natalie has to say. All that is to say ultimately they both get to a good place and I really enjoyed this book especially when I read it sitting by the lake the entire long weekend.

Thank you SO much to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a Hate to Love Romance, and this is the second book in A Vine Mess series. I have read the first book in this series before picking up this book, and the main characters in this book first meet in the first book in this series. I do think you can read this book as a standalone. I love why August is making wine, and I loved getting to know this character. I wish Natalie would have opened up to August more, but I did love that August really tried to open up and share his feelings throughout this book. I really loved his character, and I loved getting his side throughout this book. I really enjoyed reading this book, but I do think the hate to love thing was pushed a little too much in this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Avon) or author (Tessa Bailey) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Happy pub day to the newest from Tessa Bailey and thanks so much to Avon for sending me this gifted copy!

Tessa Bailey is the first romance author i ever fell in love with and so she has a special place in my heart. I never miss a chance to read her newest release and have read her entire backlist give or take a few.

Unfortunately Yours is an enemies (but he actually loves her) to lovers marriage of convenience between Natalie, a down on her luck stockbroker from a prominent family of vintners and August, an ex Navy Seal who is grieving is best friend and failing miserably at trying his hand at wine making to honor said friend.

Natalie needs to be married in order to have her trust fund released so she can try to rebuild her reputation on Wall Street and August needs the clout Natalie’s name brings so he can secure a loan and give wine making one final try. As with all of Tessa’s MCs, these two have explosive sexual chemistry, there’s a whole bunch of dirty talk, and a MMC who absolutely worships the FMC. The trajectory and dynamic of this story felt very reminiscent of It Happened One Summer which is one of my favorites so I think fans of that will likely enjoy this one.

Check this one out if you love:

- funny cats
- prank wars
- sexy banter
- men in uniform
- smart AF heroines
- family dynamics
- protective heroes

I enjoyed this one a lot and I’m excited to read whatever Tessa comes out with next!

Happy Pub Day to Unfortunately Yours!

Natalie comes from wine royalty. Working the family business was never in her plans however, as she has made a name for herself in the finance world of NYC. Back in Napa after losing both her job and fiancée in a bit of a scandal, Natalie is looking for a comeback.

August is an ex Navy SEAL and is trying to make it in the Napa wine industry. The problem is, his wine is utterly disgusting. These two meet and have an almost one night stand. After which, they pretty much can’t stand each other. So imagine Augusts surprise when Natalie proposes fake marriage as a way for them to both get back on their feet.

I read this last week in one sitting. The humor and wit were 5⭐️. I really enjoyed the layers that we were shown with these characters. August was incredibly supportive and loving and Natalie is smart and also secretly a softie.

Thanks @avonbooks for my early review copy!

I loved every bit of this. The fake marriage trope is one of my favorites and was executed brilliantly in this book. The banter and chemistry between August and Natalie was superb. This book was steamy and so sweet. I love this series and highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the tropes it has and how they were executed. I liked the characters and I love that we got to see more of Natalie and understand her as a character so much more. She was always a character that intrigued me the most in the first book so I loved that this one was about her. I liked August as well. I do wish he was more of a grumpy Navy SEAL, but I did love how sweet and caring he was. The setting of Napa Valley and the wineries was perfect for this book. I also loved the epilogue and just thought that it was adorable.

Natalie Vos and August Cates… enemies to lovers was never this horny!

It’s been a hot minute since I picked up a Bailey contemporary romance. My last read was Hook, Line, and Sinker, which I loved. This book has me coming in late to a duet but gives proof of the standalone ability of the story. I didn’t need to read the first book in this series to get involved with Natalie and August.

Bailey brings her own brand of romance to Napa Valley in this story involving winemakers and wine family members. August is our winemaker, throw in the fact he’s also an ex-Navy Seal, and it’s a fabulous opportunity for too hot to handle. He’s built like a shit-brickhouse, a fact Bailey never forgets to remind us of, and he’s not always the brightest, but this Seal has a heart of gold. Natalie is wine family royalty, and she’s not afraid to use that status to help her navigate the pitfalls she’s recently fallen into. Between her life disasters and August’s wine ones, these two are destined to either screw or fight their way to oblivion. The interesting part is the road it takes for these two to get there.

I’ll say that Bailey heats this one up with two folks who have already been circling each other for a while, throw the need for a marriage of convenience, and I honestly couldn’t stop turning pages to see how these two enemies were going to become lovers. Both August and Natalie have a lot of internal wounds that the pair have to battle against, along with some much heat I thought my reading app might burst into flame. Bailey still has it because the sex scenes are scorching, and the dirty talk, while not her finest, packs a punch.

What didn’t work? There were some pacing issues where I thought the story sped by too quickly and may have slowed down in the wrong places. At the same time, this one has storytelling that’s more unique and off the beaten path, which I did like because it kept me surprised. There’s a cat included in the book too, and I was a bit disappointed that this feline only seemed to stir up trouble when the book needed it, plot convenience.

Overall, if you like ex-military heroes, feisty heroines that give as good as they get, and enemies to lovers, you’ll enjoy this one. It’s a nice read that I was able to sink into and get away from reality for a bit. For those who enjoy Lauren Layne (the scorchers) and Jessica Lemmon.

~ Landra

💍 MY THOUGHTS: She’s back! Ok, she never really went anywhere but her last couple of books, My Killer Vacation and Secretly Yours weren’t my favorites - good not great. Especially compared to how much I loved Hook, Line and Sinker and It Happened One Summer. But Unfortunately Yours is a great read!

I love Natalie and her snarky, cut to the point, sarcastic attitude. She’s been hurt and discounted in the past by her family and most recently by her fiancé and colleagues in New York so she’s a bit messed up by it.

Enter August. A sexy, ex Navy Seal with a goofy side. He dishes it right back to Natalie but also sees right through her tough exterior and knows what she needs even if she doesn’t.

Also, I really liked Julian and Hallie more in Unfortunately Yours than I did in Secretly Yours.

Read for:
❤️ He Falls First
💒 Fake Marriage
🏡 Forced Proximity
💥 Enemy to Lovers
🫦 Witty Banter
🍷 Napa Valley Setting

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Steam Level: 🌶️🌶️ / 5

✨ Thank you @netgalley and @avonbooks for the ARC in exchange for an always honest review.