I really enjoyed this one more than the first book in the series! I felt the characters were way more genuine and the story line itself was way more interesting. This was a fun and humor filled light read with some spice! Tessa Bailey books are definitely the best choice in general for something quick and easy and entertaining. Would definitely recommend!

A sweet, heartfelt, funny story and continuation of the universe. August and Natalie are dynamic characters. I love the journey they go through together and how much they help each other grow. I love their banter and passion and romance, it’s so cute, funny, romantic and sexy. Must read!

Tessa Bailey is an incredibly prolific author, and I love her work. I love that she explores different kinds of people and different settings in her different series. I was intrigued by the premise of the Vine Mess books, which center around wineries in California’s Napa Valley. It also didn’t hurt that the town where the books are set has my name.

I love books in a series where each installment centers on a different interconnected character. Secretly Yours is about professor Julian Vos and his romance with landscaper Hallie, and Unfortunately Yours features Julian’s sister, Natalie.

I thoroughly enjoyed Secretly Yours, and the end so perfectly set up Perfectly Yours. Natalie and August and the tension between them are introduced at the end of the first book. I was intrigued and already looking forward to reading about them even before I picked up Unfortunately Yours.

I haven’t read a lot of books using the marriage of convenience trope (although, the musical & Juliet which I’ve seen MANY times uses it). It took me a minute to get into Natalie and August’s relationship because I found their constant bickering a little grating. However, it becomes clear pretty quickly that they care deeply about one another and that their marriage might be more than just a business arrangement.

Bailey lets the reader into the minds of both August and Natalie. I love when writers do this because of the dramatic irony it creates. Natalie and August are both riddled with insecurities, but it takes them some time to open up to one another. Being privvy to both of their innermost thoughts and feelings increased the impact when they finally shared them with one another.

There is definitely a Hallmark movie element to this story: big city girl returns to her hometown after a career setback and finds love with a “rugged” man who works with his hands. As an avid fan of Hallmark movies, that made me very happy. Bailey definitely gives her characters more wit and depth than the average Hallmark character, making this book even more enjoyable than your average made for television romance.

Bailey proves once again why she is at the top of the romance genre with this series. I look forward to her next book. I already have an ARC of Wreck the Halls that I’m excited to dive into.

Overall, this was much better than the first book in the series. However, I wished there had been a lot more backstory and build up around them meeting and spending time together the first few times. This book jumped in seemingly where the first one ended, but the first had very little info on these characters to go off of. It was not overtly clear why exactly they disliked each other beyond just making snap judgments about each other? Nat was not my favorite female lead and was hard to get behind and root for. She was just a little too intense and I didn't feel a ton of character development from her. August was more likable (how can you not be attracted to a fictional character who was formerly a Navy Seal?!) and he did seem to have some character development and grew to be more emotionally aware and expressive. All in all, not my favorite series from Bailey so far. I'm wondering if there will be a book three?

So cute! I don’t love books marketed under enemies to lovers when really someone has been in love from the beginning. I think the only expedition to this might be this book. August being just absolutely head over heels in love, smitten to his absolute core, was just so adorable. Loved their story!

I want to preface this by saying I’m a huge Tessa Bailey fan. However, Unfortunately Yours just wasn’t for me. It took me a really long time to get into it and I didn’t feel connected to the protagonists.

This book was SO GOOD!! I love the fake marriage and enemies to lovers tropes, and this book SMASHED them both out of the park! Tessa Bailey's writing is always a breath of fresh air and a good palette cleanser from some heavier ones - she is SO funny, too! I loved the characters so much, especially the MMC. The way he calls her princess - OMG! It gets to her so bad, but he is always so attentive. The spice was also *chefs kiss*! Overall, this book had me laughing and crying the whole time.

My favorite quote: "you want the truth? I've been through hell week, injuries, training that nearly killed me, giving myself stitches, without so much as an Advil. And none of it, Natalie, is worse, physical torture than being away from you.”

The cover is also SUPER CUTE! Love these covers. No one wants a cover with a guy with his shirt off. We need more discreet covers like this.

I honestly loved this book more than the first. The banter was top tier, and I thought the plot moved along quickly enough that I didn't get bored!

Oh. My. Goodness. Most likely my top favorite Tessa Bailey book by FAR. I absolutely loved the banter between Natalie and August, and how they went from enemies to true lovers. August fell fast and hard, and Natalie was cautious but also fell just as hard. The way Tessa approached a military man’s PTSD was so sensitive and well done, you’d think she was beyond familiar with the subject. I loved the way the family warmed up throughout the story and while marriage between August and Natalie was for convenience, everyone who was in the path of their romance could see it was REAL. From the start! I loved the character development, the spicy scenes, the way August worshiped the ground Natalie walked on and never let her forget it. Ugh. SWOONY at best. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read. Tessa Bailey is my fav, and this book topped the charts for me!

Book two in the A Vine Mess duology.
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Natalie Vos made a mess of her job and left an ex-fiancé back in NYC. Home in Napa Valley the only thing she wants is to get access to her trust fund so she can go back to the city and start her own hedge fund. Too bad her traditional Italian father put a clause in her trust that says she has to be married to get it. Enter August Cates. He’s trying so hard to make his winery work because it’s the dream of his late best friend and military brother. He needs money; she needs a marriage certificate. What’s a sham wedding in between enemies?
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I read the first book in this duology and was underwhelmed so I didn’t read the second, but when my friend Allie texted me I had to read it, I’m kicking myself for waiting so long. This was a picture perfect adult romance novel that couldn’t have been better. Loved it!

CW: panic attack, misogyny, death of a friend, grief, alcohol

I did not read the first book in the A Vine Mess series and I was able to fully enjoy this title without feeling as if I was missing out on "inside jokes".

The bantering was top notch. The "they just need to communicate" feelings are borderline, but bearable. The relationship between Natalie and her mother felt forced because we weren't given much background in this book even after some of Natalie's history was revealed.

August, the hero, bless him, such an intuitive, sensitive, and attentive man. Love it.

Overall, this book was a joy to read. I'm a fan of the marriage of convenience trope and if you are too this book is for you.

Unfortunately Yours was such a fun, laugh out loud book. I loved the character’s banter and chemistry, and their relationship from start to finish was so satisfying to watch come to life. I enjoyed watching Natalie slowly lose her icy exterior, and boy is August a cinnamon roll of a man. All muscles on the outside, but sensitive and caring inside! Definitely a fun escape for me.

This was an easy, entertaining read - go check it out!

Tropes:
Marriage of Convenience
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
He Falls First
Small Wine Town

{thank you @avonbooks for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own}

"I'm asking you to spend the rest of your life trying not to murder me in your sleep. Please."

This is quintessential Tessa Bailey and I loved every flipping second of it. She had me giggling, then cackling, then swooning and then laughing again. She does enemies-to-lovers so well and the banter was top notch here. There's chemistry, there's fun, there's tension and deep down there's honest, vulnerable love. And then more laughing. August is so pure in who he is and his dedication to Sam warmed my heart. August broke down Natalie's barriers and then some. As usual with Tessa it was the MMC who made the book. August was the perfect balance of sweetness and vulnerability, protective and possessive. And his lack of filter was so endearing - and hilarious. This is the second of A Vine Mess series and worked fine as a stand-alone. But you can bet seeing glimpses of the humor and steam I saw with Bellinger sisters I'll be backtracking to Secretly Yours.

The headlines:
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Marriage of Convenience
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ He Falls First
✨ “My Wife”
✨ Dual POV

As most of this author’s books I have read this one is certainly enjoyable. It is a curl up and feel good kind of book. I debated when reading it if I thought there was too much bickering, but decided it was good for what the storyline needed to be. I am a fan of this author and will continue to be.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

After an expensive mistake cost her job and her fiancé, Natalie Voss returns to her family home in Napa Valley to rebound and regroup. After a few wine-soaked months she’s finally feeling ready to start over, but that means she needs access to her trust fund so she can have the capital to start her own hedge fund. Unfortunately, the antiquated terms of the trust mean she won’t be able to access a penny unless she’s married, and those prospects are currently slim. But desperate times call for desperate measures, so Natalie proposes a plan of mutual convenience to a man who alternately makes her want to smack him and kiss him.

Vineyard owner August Cates knows absolutely nothing about making wine, but he’s determined to see his late best friend’s dream through, no matter what. But that dream is seeming increasingly impossible as his wine is horrible, and his tasting room is empty. Thanks to the poor showing of his wine, he can’t get the loan he needs to turn things around. But then Natalie approaches him with an insane idea. He’s been dreaming of her since they first met, before their fiery chemistry turned into biting, snippy insults.

A quick marriage of convenience would be enough to get them both out of the mess in which they’ve landed. Just a few weeks of sharing a residence and then they can go their separate ways, but of course they didn’t count on the very real attraction that has been simmering between them for weeks.

Though I was a bit anxious about how much August and Natalie struggled to communicate, this was actually so well done, and issues were worked out by these two as rational adults. Sure, they struggled to learn how to do so, and they both messed it up at times, but the book takes place over just a couple of weeks so there were thankfully none of the drawn-out separations I so loathe. I was surprised at how much I related to Natalie’s struggle to be seen and valued and I loved August for her. He was the quintessential former soldier hero, but his golden retriever exterior hit a wealth of emotion. He had issues to work through and I loved seeing him finally let Natalie help. I also loved how openly loving he was toward her, especially when she finally grew comfortable enough to allow it and eventually reciprocate. These two both just needed someone to take them seriously, to expect more from them, and I loved that they were able to be that for one another. I definitely enjoyed this story much more than the first one. This adorable book gave me warm fuzzies when I finished it, and it has earned a spot on my keeper shelf.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love the set up of this one. Having one of the "enemies" basically be in love from the beginning is such a refreshing change from enemies who are supposed to be "true enemies" but don't pull that off so then most of the conflict is gone. The ways in which Natalie and August were having to figure out their lives felt super believable and relatable and I appreciated that these felt like main characters/issues for adults versus the current trend of making everyone 25. Another great Tessa Bailey novel!

I have heard nothing but great things about Tessa Bailey, so when I saw this book at Target I immediately grabbed it. (Full disclosure I did get this book from Netgalley as well, but in my excitement, I also grabbed it at Target). This book is about a former Navy SEAL who lost a friend on a mission and his goal is to now fulfill his friend’s dream of owning a winery and making wine. The problem with this? He doesn’t know anything about making wine or owning a winery.

Natalie is winery royalty. Or at least her family is. She’s the family screw-up, and no matter what she’s done with her life since her teenage years, that title never seems far behind her. And in her desire to escape that reputation, she went to New York and had an amazing job making a lot of people a lot of money. Until one bad investment sends her back to Napa with her tail between her legs to lick her wounds.

The book opens with August trying his new wine at a competition where Natalie is one of the judges. The two of them had an almost night so they weren’t strangers, but August constantly seems to put his foot in his mouth, and doesn’t know how to stop it. So he and Natalie keep throwing out barbs at each other and the chemistry is off the charts. But…there are moments where he sees her. And those moments are everything. They make the book. This author is brilliant with her sexual tension, her banter, her character driven plots, but having August see in Natalie what everyone else is missing, even Natalie herself, is wonderful.

They’re both in need of something. He needs capital to continue his winery dream, and she needs her trust fund so she can head back to New York and start her own investment firm. Her fiance left her after she got fired, and surprisingly, the more time she spends bickering with August, the less she cares about her ex. And when her father refuses to unlock her trust fund unless she’s married, she decided August will be her perfect fake husband. She can help him get a loan for his business, and she can get her money and head back to New York. Win-win.

But it’s never that easy, is it?


Her family doesn’t believe her that it’s a love match. She’s already been the person everyone talks about in town, so her mom wants her to just quietly back out and let her do damage control. But Natalie is adamant so her mom plans a huge Napa winery heiress worthy wedding very quickly and that wedding was wonderful. August was wonderful. He’s just what Natalie needs. Even if she doesn’t realize it herself.

August is stubborn, though. And patient. He’s willing to put in the time and effort with Natalie. Suddenly his marriage of convenience begins to mean a whole lot more to him that just the financing for the vineyard and winery. But how can he convince Natalie to stay with him?

This book is sexy, it’s funny, and it’s deep. Natalie is trying to mend her relationship with her mom, she’s trying to prove herself to the world, and not even realizing that she doesn’t need to. I really enjoyed the ending and I will definitely be reading more Tessa Bailey books. She could teach a master class on banter and chemistry.

I tend to really enjoy Tessa Bailey's work, and this was no exception. I previously read "Secretly Yours," which was a good introduction to the dynamic that the two main characters in this book had. Marriage of Convenience is becoming one of my favorite tropes, so this really hit all of the boxes for me. Tessa Bailey is a permanent instabuy.

The companion novel to Secretly Yours, Unfortunately Yours follows Natalie Vos, Julian’s sister, as she enters into a marriage of convenience with her nemesis in order to gain access to her trust fund and restart her career and get back to her old life after a big mishap. Little does she know that she may have just met her match. I was nervous going into this one because I was NOT a fan of Secretly Yours (I actually DNF’d it), but I was VERY pleasantly surprised. While I found the characters of Secretly Yours to be insufferable, I fell IN LOVE with Natalie and August. Their banter and chemistry was unmatched, being both hilarious and sexy at the same time. Both characters had a lot of maturity and their personalities were vibrant and real which I appreciated as well. It had the perfect amount of spice- I’d say about a 3.5 out of 5 on the spice scale. It was such a fun and romantic story to immerse myself in and I had an absolute blast reading it, as well as a slight book hangover leaving these characters behind. Another hit for Miss Tessa Bailey!

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey
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Ok Tessa…this was much better than the first book in this duo! I almost didn’t ask for this one because Secretly Yours annoyed me, but I’m happy I did. Natalie and August were amazing together. I love a good enemies to lovers story! I laughed at their angry banter, and fell for their undeniable love for each other. This is a great end of summer read if you are looking to finish out the season with a love story!