oh my god have i mentioned how much i love tessa bailey??????? august cates is the man of my dreams and i want a marriage of convenience of my own LOL but seriously mrs bailey, im waiting for you to write me into a story because im living there in my fantasies already!!!!

Secretly Yours was one of my favorite books so far this year, so I literally couldn’t wait to for Unfortunately Yours and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to receive an ARC! Honestly, I just loved this book so much.

What I loved:

Since everything is too broad, I’ll try to get specific here:

- I loved August. I loved his personality, how goofy he was and his heart! Major book boyfriend goals, in my opinion!
- All of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, fake dating/marriage of convenience, he falls first
- I am fighting the urge to reread this book already. I know it’s going to be a major comfort read for me!
- The banter between August and Natalie! It was just so perfect and kept me entertained.
- I feel like there was a lot of character development in this one and I loved the opportunity to see Julian and Hallie!

If you’re in the mood for a rom com, definitely definitely give this one a try!

This book was really underwhelming to me. I just didn't connect with it at all. I think the romance was almost fully based on the sexual attraction these two characters had to each other, and the feelings that came to play just seemed to come out of nowhere. I don't think the author did a good enough job making me understand why they all of the sudden these two were madly in love with each other besides "they're hot and want to have sex with each other". Because I felt like the characters never really formed that connection with each other, I also just never felt like I got to have a connection with the characters. I barely knew anything about them. That made me feel pretty disconnected from the entire book as well. I also just found it hard to root for the romance because of the disconnect that seemed to be between the characters as well. They just kept making assumptions about how the other person felt instead of communicating with each other, and they way they kept fighting, it just made me feel like they were doomed. I honestly don't see a world in which they last, no matter what the epilogue might say. However, this wasn't terrible. I stil had a decent enough time reading this book, and I would recommend it still. It just wasn't my thing completely.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this enemies to lovers + marriage of convenience romance novel. The banter between Natalie and August was so funny and I loved seeing them unable to fight their attraction to each other as the story went on. Their commitment to their respective careers/aspirations was admirable but I loved that they eventually figured out they were better at everything together. They were both witty and likeable and I'm really glad I read this one! Available June 6, 2023!

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @avonbooks for an early copy of Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Unfortunately Yours tells the story of a fake marriage for convenience between Natalie and August. Despite having a huge dislike for each other, both needed money for their individual business ventures and decided that a quickie marriage could help them both and just go their separate ways afterward. How hard could it be? There’s just one thing they didn’t account for: their unfortunate, unbearable, undeniable attraction.

Here’s an honest take on this novel – I almost dnfed this. As much as I really admired Natalie’s character, I felt iffy about August. He’s very sex driven, and I felt like he just thinks with his nether regions especially when he thinks and sees Natalie. What made him initially agree with Natalie’s proposition to get married to both get the money they need – his nether regions. As they continued on with their sham marriage, I really enjoyed their banter and their fights, which inevitably led to August being as horny as ever every time ugh 🤮. Apart from the very cringy, sexually charged storyline, I was able to appreciate (eventually) August’s character very slightly as he grew to care for Natalie, who I found admirable since Secretly Yours, as she tries to jump back up from her past, despite feeling left out from her family.

Rating Unfortunately Yours ⭐⭐⭐.5/5. Releases June 6th, 2023!

I was very excited for this book, mostly because the last one was so disappointing. But truth be told, I will probably be a Tessa Dare fan for life. She's amazing. And guess what? I'm so glad I requested it---it's wonderful!

Unfortunately Yours was a wonderful conclusion to Bailey's series. Soooo much better than the first one. This is Natalie and August's story, and WOW, was this story sweet AND hot! It was such a good combo, and the reverse grump/sunshine trope was perfection!

Hallie from the first book drove me nuts--immature and babyish. But Natalie, however, was competent and smart. Driven for success. I loved that about her. And August? YUMMMMM. How perfect can one guy get?!? He's opening up the winery to honor a fellow Navy SEAL, he's funny, he's tender and loving, AND he's a dirty talker?!? SIGN ME UP!! The marriage-of-convenience trope was perfect for these two.

I would definitely recommend this book to romance readers who want a super-spicy, funny contemporary, and if you, like me, didn't like the first one, try this one. It's an excellent, classic Bailey romance.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for this book to read and review*

This book is pure banter and spicy goodness all rolled into one.

I absolutely loved the tension between August and Natalie, their banter fit in so well with their personalities.

August. He is the epitome of book boyfriends. His vows, were complete perfection. This marriage of convenience where these two catch feelings real fast was such a fun read. So much pining, I am totally here for it. Tessa Bailey does not not disappoint with the dirty talk either 😉.

There are some heavier subjects touched on and I love that August and Natalie come together in such a equal partnership.

This is Tessa Bailey at her best! Natalie and August have great banter and chemistry both interpersonally and intimately.

The story has the perfect balance of will they won’t they. It also has some of the best romantic comedy tropes: enemies to lovers, fake dating, well, it’s actually marriage of convenience but similar vibes (to real feelings) and hurt her and I’ll kill you.

Natalie and August start our enemies from rival vineyards. Natalie back home at her family’s vineyard after some personally humiliating failings in NYC and August is just about ready to give up on the vineyard he’d started up for his late best friend and fellow Navy Seal, Sam.

As they spend more time together to convince all the right people their marriage is real they start to learn more and more about one another (and fall deeper and deeper for one another). I also found it amusing how it was clear from the text how these two were never going back after their wedding day despite not yet knowing themselves.

Also, Menace the cat was great. Lol.

5/5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a mash-up of an enemies-to-lovers and fake marriage romance set in Napa Valley. Except the only one who is playing at being an enemy is Natalie. For some reason, she just keeps being mean to August, a Navy SEAL who is cluelessly trying to start up a winery. He has fallen totally for her and they have a fiery sexual attraction. He is a nice guy who just tries to help her out and serve her need for insulting repartee, but she keeps closing him out and treating him badly. She’s got a lot of problems that she has to work out and he just wants to make her happy.

Who wouldn’t like a handsome, muscular SEAL who is very charming and kind? He’s protective and is happy to give her sexual pleasure without asking for anything else. I got rather tired of Natalie continually putting up barriers which seemed just to exist to prolong the book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This sequel to Secretly Yours was just as good as the first. Bailey writes very good clueless men and insecure women. Plus, the story takes place in wineries in Napa Valley, and I learned a lot about wine making. Natalie Vos has always felt underrated by her family, but after a work disaster in New York and a broken engagement, she returns home to her family winery. There, in a meet cute, she encounters August Cates, a Navy Seal trying to run a winery.
The banter and obvious sexual attraction brings a fun aspect to their relationship. It takes some complicated maneuverings and a natural disaster for their true feelings to finally emerge.
Lots of hot sex, emotional confusion and a very happy ending as told in an epilogue. I highly recommend this series

I loved this book so much. The chemistry between Natalie and August was amazing. The way they bicker/banter put a smile on my face every time. It was impossible not to fall for August. He was a giant goofball who loved with everything he had. I didn't want to put this book down.

This was too freaking cute! I enjoyed ‘Secretly Yours’ the first in the A Vine Mess series but this takes the cake out of the two. Natalie and August were just so much more likeable as main characters. Now I will say, this book gave me a new appreciation for Hallie. Her as a side character I can totally get behind. This book had the much needed banter, the chemistry, the classic TB humor (and spice/dirty talk), as well as a cat named Menace. I mean the setting is already romantic but throw in an explosive relationship between a dorky Navy SEAL and a vineyard raised princess and I AM SOLD. Opposites attract, am i right?

‘Unfortunately Yours’ is being promoted as an enemies to lovers' romance but in my opinion it’s more of a love/hate relationship. They weren’t technically enemies, there really wasn’t any hardcore enemy-ing going on. Verbal barbs were thrown for sure. August and Natalie have undeniable chemistry, if only they knew when to listen to their hearts and shut their mouths. Mostly August but hey, he's actually extremely adorable for a man that is described as three times the size of an average man. As the first line of the book goes. . . “For as long as August Cates could remember, his dick had ruined everything."

Like I mentioned, the chemistry between August and Natalie was undeniable or more like unavoidable since the moment they laid eyes on each other (refer to book one). Natalie insulted his wine and August insulted her drinking habits. It read more of a love/hate relationship to me because their thoughts were a lot sweeter than what was spewing out of their mouths. You know those moments in an E to L when they are describing each other and it definitely does NOT sound like dislike, but they don't realize it, LOL. I seriously live for that. AND the protectiveness of August??? God, I just loved it. I’m sure it came from him being a SEAL but seriously, this man was breaking out into a cold sweat at anything remotely threatening near Natalie physically or emotionally. TB always writes the best protective MCs in rom-coms. Natalie was also protective. Very ‘only I can talk about him that way’ vibes.

The emotional vulnerability in this book is really what made these characters more likeable than the first book. They were easier to connect to. Beyond the banter, the little moments of honesty had me. . . I will admit I did cry once. Maybe twice. I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING. Okay I totally teared up.

The spice was SPICY. Good lord. I’m only really giving this a 2.5/5 on that scale because there isn’t a lot, but when there is, it’s freaking good. Lets just say, when August says “sit,” Natalie is sat.

This was a very cute rom-com that had me ugly cackling, tearing up, and smiling like a goof. The epilogue was the *chefs kiss* I recommend it for a fun and sweet read.

Okay I’m going to try and be cool about this but it’s not going to work. The absolute obsession I now have with this book is off the charts. This book had no business being this good.
I know that no matter what a Tessa book is going to make me happy but this one touched my heart, brought tears to my eyes and made my stomach flutter.
I loved Natalie and August from the very start. Their wicked banter was excellent, I literally laughed out loud. I could feel his love for her radiate off the pages. I loved every single trope in this book and even though fake relationships/fake marriages are my favorite trope this book just solidified it.
As a quick review, Natalie comes home to Napa Valley after being fired, she is floundering and her family doesn’t take her seriously. August is recently out of the SEALs and made a promise to his best friend that he would get this winery dream up and running. It’s not going well. Natalie and August both need money so they come up with a plan of a fake marriage to get that money.
Nothing goes to plan, they fight a lot but the way they keep coming back to each other just makes your whole body melt.

“Women have the capacity for forgiveness and compassion that men will never fully grasp. She might decide to spare your life.”- Julian

I read the first sentence of this book and was automatically hooked. I felt connected to the characters right away and their chemistry was amazing. It made me laugh, cry and just brought me joy. I definitely recommend this book to every reader who loves complex yet relatable characters, a fun story and of course, swoon worthy romance!

Full of sass, snark, spice, sand steam, Bailey’s newest book has something for ever reader.
I was a goner for August after the first page. He is a total sweetheart disguised by his huge hunky frame and personality,
Natalie is exactly what he needs and she needs him, I love the fake marriage because I know what it leads. The scene in in the New York bar is one of the many excellent scenes in the book. August’s vows stole the show at their wedding as well.
It’s a happy read.

Literally OBSESSED! Last week I was complaining about being in a reading slump and I ate this book up!! I was swooning soo hard! This had it all, AMAZING banter, marriage of convenience and enemies to lovers. August Cates had me in a literal chokehold because he was so yummy in EVERY way - he took shit from no one, he was loyal, strong, build like a brick house and he would burn the world down if anything happened to Natalie. August has a tough exterior but he's the true definition of a MMC golden retriver. I LOVED this book waay more than Secretly Yours, it was honestly perfect! The banter was PHENOMENAL and I cannot stress enough how OBSSESSED I was while reading this, I gave me alll the feels AND the spice?!?! OMG! Like I needed another reason to love August! When you read this you'll understand...

I know I talked a lot about August before but him and Natalie together was EVERYTHING! They both balanced each other out in the best ways and I couldn't get enough of them. She challenged him and put him in his place when he needed it [and lord did he need it A LOT] but she wasn't scared to tell him to his face that he was being an arrogant son of a b*tch. They fought like cats and dogs but they always came back to center and ugh I just know you'll be just as obsessed with them as I was!
I cannot recommend this enough! My favorite Tessa Bailey book was Hook Line & Sinker but this just took the cake. If you're looking for a fun read with amazing banter, spice and swoon worthy characters this is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and Tessa Bailey for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Don’t you just love it when two people with emotional walls learn to trust each other and find love?????????? DON'T YOU????

AAA I loved this book so much!!! It has a kinda reverse-grumpy-sunshine dynamic, a badass heroine, and tons of banter. But there’s also so much depth to this book. The moments of emotional vulnerability between Natalie and August made me truly believe in their relationship, and Natalie’s struggle with family dynamics really resonated with me! I think a lot of people are going to connect with Natalie and love this couple.

Tessa Bailey is truly such a master at writing hilarious stories with a lot of heart. Her ability to transition the relationship from enemies to lovers in a contemporary setting with the added complexity of marriage of inconvenience really showcased her talent and I’m SO excited for everyone to be able to experience it soon!!

A last thank you to NetGalley and Tessa Bailey for sending me an ARC of this book!!

"Unfortunately Yours" is the second book in the "A Vine Mess" series and definitely my favorite of the two. It had serious "It Happened One Summer" vibes, which is the first ever Tessa Bailey book I ever read and loved.

August and Natalie are complete opposites who claim to hate each other, but decide to enter a marriage of convenience that will benefit both of them financially. There is a very obvious attraction between the two and not-so-fake feelings quickly show up.

I loved the gradual progression of August and Natilie’s relationship from no-really-hate to very real love, which of course did not stop them pushing each other’s buttons. August has a dirty mouth and good intentions, but needs to stop saying the wrong thing if he wants to prove to his stubborn wife that what they feel is very real.

Unfortunately Yours was a fun, spicy romance with a stubborn heroine and a crude hero that was a super good time.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ 2.5/5


Natalie & August.. AKA.. The Cates

Now, was there things that I DISLIKED about the Cates? Yes.. there was.
But it was things I can overlook because what I LOVED about them was sooo fxckn MANY OTHER THINGS:

➖ Their sexual tension/chemistry.. that shit was on HIGH. 🥵
➖ The insults that they threw at each other that started to turn into flirtatious banter, that turned into pranks & just some funny AF moments between them 🤣
➖ The way they had each other's back?! LIKE A REAL FXCKN MARRIAGE IS SUPPOSED TO!? "..dream team." 🥰

"Not until she met someone who reminded her she was fearless. Someone who imbued her with twice her strength, because they were a team. In everything."

THAT EPILOGUE?! are you fxckn kidding me?! gahhhh it was the CUTEST!! 🥹


The spice, the swoon, the EVERYTHING! Tessa Bailey.. just fxckn' 👏🏽 AH👏🏽 MAY👏🏽 ZING👏🏽!!
THIS.. THIS is the Tessa Bailey we know AND LOVE!
Unfortunately Yours had me just smiling & swooning. The palpable CHEMISTRY between the two is what made me just DEVOUR this book in one sitting 💁🏻‍♀️✨. I mean how could I NOT?!

Honestly.. I wouldn't mind a double date of Brendan & Piper with these two. They give off the same fxckn VIBES and I loved how these men will literally DROP TO THEIR KNEES for their women. gahhhhh.

So if you love some CUTE NAPA vibesss.. An assholish Navy SEAL with a soft side, An ambitious Napa heiress and a cat named MENACE.. you'll love Unfortunately Yours.

I absolutely loved Unfortunately Yours, a follow up to Secretly Yours. I knew when I read Secretly and was introduced to Natalie, there was so much more to her story and I’m so glad we finally have it. She is such a complex and emotion driven character and for good reason. I felt myself connecting with her on many levels. I adored the angst, the push and pull, the will they/won’t they between she and August, her super hunky husband out of convenience. Reading on as their relationship grows, they find themselves as much as they learn about each other kept the book captivating and extremely enjoyable. This book will not disappoint your romantic hearts.