I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Like all Tessa Bailey books, the chemistry levels were off the charts. I did enjoy the setting and the extra characters, particularly Natalie and August.
Towards the end though, it felt like there was drama added for dramas sake, and it made me analyse the characters a bit too much.
3.5 stars

Secretly your was a super cute opposites attract romance. This was my first Tessa Bailey book and I found it to be a fun and easy read.

Hallie has crushed on Julian since high school, but he doesn't know she exists. When they meet (again) he is appalled by her loud and bubbly personality and her inability to stick to any type of a schedule.

I really enjoyed the winery setting and the summery vibes. The mental health rep was really good to see. I would have liked to have seen more of Julian's sister though, I feel like ger story was not explored enough.

Overall a really enjoyable quick read and I am excited to explore more of Tassa Bailey's books.

Love me a Tessa Bailey book! Every one of hers I e read so far I loved!
This one was so sweet. The characters were so lovable and left you wanting more.
Although for me it felt like this book had a bunch of unnecessaryness going on I still did thoroughly enjoy it!
Thank you! 🥰

I have loved all of Tessa Bailey's books I've read so far.
This one is set in Napa, in a small town where Hallie, a local gardener hears their teenage (lifelong) crush has returned to town. She orchestrates the opportunity to do his gardening and they have lots of fun encounters where Hallies wild, chaotic-ness threatens Julians hard scheduled life.
At the moment I seem to be reading back to back novels with wine families in Napa (the latest trend??). This second chance romance has great characters and offers them some opportunitiea to grow. The setting of the town had some good side characters which I wish were featured more.
Overall a cute romance.

Hallie is thrilled when her high school crush, Julian, returns to town to pen a novel. Working on landscaping his family's grounds, Hallie knows she will bump into Julian from time to time. She's not expecting him to return her continued adoration so she decides to start sending him letters from a secret admirer. 

Tessa Bailey's books have always been hit or miss for me but I'm glad to say I quite enjoyed this one. It's not as good as the Bellinger sisters series but I am still keen to read book two, with Natalie's story. Hallie was a bright spark in this book and Julian was her polar opposite (read grumpy!). I also enjoyed Julian's family dynamic being resolved in this book.

I think I should have DNFd this. I just didn’t mesh with the couple. Loved the idea, just feel like I would’ve loved it more if it was executed differently.

A quick summary of the novel is that Hallie (our FMC) pined over a guy (our MMC, Julian) for literally 14 years after they almost kissed once in high school. All the while, when he sees her for the first time when he returns to town, he just thought she was super hot, BUT couldn’t remember who she was (and couldn’t remember how they knew each other until 40% of the way through the book).
Don’t get me wrong I REALLY wanted to like this, but it just read as two adults in a small-town who couldn’t to communicate properly, all the while being incredibly horny for one another. If that’s your thing, this book is for you.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley, publisher, and Tessa Bailey, for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Secretly Yours" was a pretty straight-forward and easy read. The banter between Hallie and Julian was funny. The spicy scenes were good. However, I didn't like the third-act breakup or conflict. That's what ultimately ruined my experience with this book.

Really liked the first half of the book. Like the plot concept and the pace but it started to break down after halfway. The sex scenes did not seem cohesive with the characters we were introduced to so it felt very abrasive, affronting, and awkward. A bit uncomfortable because you could not reconcile strict Julian with the sexual beast he became. Nor did it suit that the F MC was made to be a virgin. The last quarter of the book was awkward, forced 3rd act breakup and did not seem cohesive. Some good themes throughout and good concept but execution fell short sometimes.

This was one of my most anticipated books for 2023!! It had so much potential but it missed the mark for me. I did like the vineyard backdrop based in a small town the book was set in. I also LOVE the second chance romance trope but the execution of the secret admirer letters felt a bit childish especially since the main character Hallie was 29 years old. The first letter sent accidentally when she was drunk was funny but afterwards it just didn't make sense why she would continue to send them if they were building a friendship in person. I also found it difficult to understand why she would base all her previous romantic encounters on one brief moment she had with Julian 15 years ago.

I really loved Julian as the male love interest and getting his point of view on the events happening in the book. However, I wish we got a bit more depth in terms of his family dynamics which were briefly mentioned and what the book he was writing was about. I feel like that was just mentioned but didn't need to be as it had hardly impact on the plot of the story. It was interesting seeing how anxiety impacted Julian and the way he interacted with other characters and him trying to save the wine shop was the cutest thing to see.

Now I'm all for spice in my romance books however it came out of nowhere and I wish there was more tension in the lead up to it. I also found the miscommunication in the third act conflict unnecessary when they could have had a open discussion as adults. I also wish that anxiety wasn't used as a tool for the plot to move forward.

Overall I can see why others would like the opposites attract in a small town setting enjoyable however unfortunately this book wasn't my favourite from Tessa Bailey

You know when it's a Tessa Bailey book it's going to be fun, light, full of laughs and theatrics and that's what Secretly Yours is. The first book in the A Vine Mess series, this is a grumpy professor/sunshine neighbor contemporary romantic comedy story with opposites attract and second chance vibes.
Main characters in this story are Halle Welch and Julian Vos. These two come from a small wine country town and had a brief moment when younger after which Julian left. Now that he's back, she's been tasked with landscaping his family's estate. Will Julian remember who Halle is?
Such a fun and light read. I loved how different both of these characters were. Julian, the serious Stanford professor with writer's block who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. And Halle, the fun and quirky ray of sunshine with her dogs and hectic life. Secretly pining for Julian and writing him secret letters. These two had a great connection and chemistry. And can I say for someone as reserved and strait laced as Julian, damn that man has an alpha side in the bedroom with his dirty words. Overall, another great story with plenty of humor, banter and steam. Whose story will Tessa give us next in this series? I can't wait for more of this.

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey 4.5 stars

I can’t wait for the world to read this book. Secretly Yours is such a feel good, swoony rom com for all wine lovers and fans of small town and second chance romance. I have to say, at first it took me a few chapters to really get into this book but once I did I was completely sucked in and I finished it in two sittings. Set in the Napa Valley, Secretly Yours follows Hallie and Julian, who met and almost kissed in high school, as they get to know each other again as adults. Hallie has just lost her grandmother and is struggling without her there as her support/moral compass. She hears Julian is back in town and develops a plan to finally get her kiss so she can get over him one and for all. Julian is a professor who is home, writing a novel, after witnessing a friend/colleague having a mental breakdown and realising that life is finite. I laughed out loud so many times and felt my heart break for them as well. I could relate to both of these characters in many ways. I love this book and I love them both. I want to move to Napa and be friends with them. I wish we got a few more flash back scenes to high school so we could really understand who the characters were then and more about what stopped that kiss in its tracks. I was hoping for a better ending for Owen and hope they actually become close friends. I enjoyed reading about Natalie and cannot wait to read her story next in Unfortunately Yours!

Thank you Tessa Bailey, Harper Collins Australia and NetGalley for this copy.

✨Review✨: Secretly Yours- @tessabaileyisanauthor 🌸🌺🌻🌼
‘Secretly Yours’ is for the readers who never stopped lusting after their ‘one that got away’. We’ve all been there right? 🤷🏼‍♀️ So what happens when that one that got away suddenly enters back into your life and the ‘might’ve been’ could now all work out and instead of lust its love? You get Hallie and Julian! That’s what!

Lovers of the second chance romance trope- run don’t walk to pick this up! Hallie is our quintessential sunshine character, bursting with colour and life. Julian is our grumpy, ‘scholar with a case of talk, dark and broodies’ (love that line Tessa Bailey😂👏🏻). Written in dual POV, we get to go on the emotional roller coaster that is from both seats! I do love a dual POV especially when we get to feel the angst from the MMCs side. Julian is….neurotic but he has so much depth. As someone who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks; I appreciated the way mental health was represented and explored through Julian’s character. Julians growth shows readers that anxiety can be a strength that just needs to be managed healthily rather than a flaw or weakness to be ashamed of. Hallie is a force of wildness and her free spirit derails Julian’s pre conceived ideas and Julian’s structured process inspires Hallie to hone her spirited heart in a more organised way. But they’re totally wrong for each other? Right? 🤷🏼‍♀️ 😏

‘Secretly Yours’ was such a sweet book with the perfect amount of spice (3/5🌶️🌶️🌶️) and gave me all the romcom feels like ‘You’ve Got Mail’ with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks 🥰💌Readers who collect book boyfriends, make room in your list of favourites because Julian does not muck around and he’s all action for our girl!
What really elevates a book for me is when I enjoy getting to know the side characters and this book is no exception. I’m so excited to see where Julian’s sister, Natalie’s story takes us! I am so grateful to @harpercollinsaustralia for the opportunity to advance read ‘Secretly Yours’. I give book 1 of The Vine Mess duology 4/5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ & will be picking up the physical copy as soon as I can. I have a lot of annotating to do! ✍️ Bring on publishing day- 07/02/2023 🎉📚

Tessa Bailey hits the mark again!

I'm going to start off super honest and say this book took me a bit longer to get into compared to previous books of Tessas I have read.

Julian and Hallie are thrown together almost immediately in the story, but I felt no real spark between them for much of the first half of the book.

Obviously the main "issue" of the story is these two characters are polar opposites Hallie is a free spirit and Julian is structure personified and that might be where the lack of spark came in for me in the beginning.

Once Julian got out of his own head though and realised that maybe he needed to loosen up a bit then the sparks started flying! The last half of the book was very enjoyable (in more ways than one if you catch my drift)

If you loved her It happened one summer series and are a fan of the grumpyxsunshine trope I'd highly recommend this one!

When Hallie Welch was 14, she almost kissed Julian Vos in the vineyard of his family’s winery. She fell in love with him then but when they meet again as adults, he seems to have forgotten her, but she remembers him but now they are polar opposites. Hallie is revamping the gardens on the Vos estate whilst he is a grumpy professor trying to write a novel. What throws them off kilter is when Hallie writes Julian a secret admirer letter after a wine-fuelled girls' night and then forgets to reclaim it. When Julian finds the letter, he begins to wonder who she is, whilst still finding himself captivated by Hallie, wondering how he knows her.
Again, Tessa Bailey brings two quite unique characters together, into a steamy romance. Whilst the covers always draw me in, her ability to give complexity to the characters with their past impacting their ability to move forward, is cleverly done. I also enjoyed reading about Julian’s mother and sister, and their relationship and how it has impacted him over the years.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Super cute rom com with great character development and loveable side characters! A new favourite - certainly my favourite since It Happened One Summer.

I was so excited when I got the email saying I was accepted to receive this arc. And I DEVOURED this book immediately. This book was released a few days back, and I have searched in all my local bookshops to find this.

So thank you to Tessa Bailey, the publishers and NetGalley for this arc.

Now the actual book, I'll be honest, I didn't love it as much as I had hoped. The first chapter didn't catch my attention as it has with every other Tessa Bailey book I have read in the past.

About the book. Hallie has had a lifelong crush on a boy who has left town and is now back with plans to write a novel. Julian has moved back home to write said book, but Hallie is redoing the garden outside his window. How is he meant to concentrate on anything?

This is a contemporary romance with a bit of scheming, a little longing and many opposites attract with a grumpy/sunshine pairing.

It was a pretty easy read, I think it could have been a lot better, and it isn't my favourite Tessa Bailey book, but I will still be leaving a spot on my book shelf once I can actually find it in stores.

This is the first Tessa Bailey book I have read, and I have to say I have meant to read one before now, especially since I went back and listened to some old podcasts on Read Me Romance.

Secretly Yours is a sneak peak into the adult mind Hallie whose teen crush Julian has waltzed back into her life after about 15 years. Hallie is grieving the loss of her anchor in life, her maternal grandmother. And Julian is writing a book, returning to his family's vineyard following a professional (and mental health) crisis. And BTW Julian has absolutely no idea who Hallie is.

This book really had me perplexed and I'm still not sure where it sits with me. So I'll rate it in the here and now, one day after I finished it. I think I'll go back and read it though - it's definitely a right time, right place. [sidenote, it wasn't kindle compatible so I read it in my netgalley shelf on my phone in what's like a pdf version ... not ideal either and it made me prone to skimming I think).

Likes:-
* The chaos that was Hallie.
* The dry-routine oriented, systems loving Julian.
* The concept of losing ones inhibitions around THAT person, particularly early on in the relationship. Where you don't know yourself anymore and it's all consuming. [Of course he had stumbled on this captivating, lunatic woman who inspired him to make prank calls stealing cheese from a local establishment. What else would she be doing? HA!]
* The foray into grief, loss and mental health and how individual responses to these traumas are so personal, and sometimes other people just don't get it.
* The explored concept of found family.
* Natalie. Like I need to elaborate.
* Some of the angst and lead up to the steam ["A raw sound ground up from his throat, on hand lifting to run a single finer down the side of her neck" .... well, HELLO :-) ]

Dislikes:-
* I'm not one for virgin heroines I have to say. And the initial encounter between this pair whilst steamy and hot seemed at odds for me. I understand TB writes some intense and magnetic steam from other reviewers, but I wanted just a smidge more of connection between these two to their own persons and each other, to go along WITH that steam. On it's own, it was a little icky.
* The secret love letters. I couldn't get past Julian had just "met" Hallie and all of a sudden he starts receiving these letters that were pretty specific. It seemed like a small place, he was supposed to be a smart man - join the dots dude! Did it never occur to him it could have been Hallie ?
* And anyway Hallie, just talk to him, use your words like a grown up. It was one of the things that made me thing Hallie is really juvenile in her view of the world and her responses to it, despite her upbringing.
* Taking the secret letters one step further, I didn't see that the letters as a plot device were so significant there would be such a big issue about them. So what Hallie didn't say she sent them. My thinking was she'd tell him and he'd go, wow, that's awesome, I hoped it was you because I love you. Instead, DRAMA!!!

I'm going to say 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to the publisher for approving my request.

Wow.

I am speechless! I’d forgotten how quickly Tessa Bailey can draw you into her writing, how easily you can get sucked into her incredible characters and their stories.

I had adored “It happened one summer” and I think “Secretly yours” has actually topped that now.

Not only is this book incredibly witty, relatable and hilarious, the main characters and side characters (Lavinia and Natalie are beyond amazing, I want to be friends with them) are so easy to get attached to, very quickly. The chaos of Hallie is endearing, and Julian’s EVERYTHING is attractive.

I fell hard and fast for Julian, another absolutely perfect man Tessa Bailey created for us. I felt the magnetism in him that Hallie feels, Tessa Bailey was able to translate that into her writing perfectly.

My cheeks hurt from grinning this much while reading, and my heart still bleeds for Julian and Hallie’s inner turmoils. Reading their journey - both apart and together - felt like a gift. One that allows you to heal and grow alongside the characters.

Be warned: once you pick up this book, you won’t be able to put it down.

Exquisitely emotive and ruthlessly romantic, Secretly Yours is everything I had hoped for and so much more. Hallie & Julian are beautifully complex and I adored the authenticity of their character development, and how heartfelt their connection was. I really admire Tessa Bailey’s storytelling style, particularly the way she integrates heart and heat in a very natural, genuine way. Needless to say, the spicy scenes are as epic as the love story!

4 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Australia for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Initial Thoughts
I've enjoyed some fantastic stories by this author in the past, and also had some big misses, so I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy Secretly Yours. I was pleased with the majority of this read.

What's great about this book?
- The setting is really easy to imagine. I love that it's set in the Napa wine country, which isn't somewhere I've read a romance from before. Whilst St. Helena is a city, it read more like a small town with a tight-knit community feel. I enjoyed the people and the places that made up the backdrop for this story, and how interweaved for different reasons the main characters are with the place - Julian for his family name and vineyard, and Hallie for her grandmother and the traditions she's created since living there.
- I enjoyed the mental health rep for Julian's anxiety and panic disorder, and Hallie's struggles of identity and value after losing her beloved grandmother. Both characters undergo growth throughout the story, and I liked their journeys both as individuals and as a couple.
- Whilst it was predictable and Hallie isn't the most in-depth female character out, I enjoyed the romance. I liked that Julian and Hallie were both so different from each other and still found a place where they could exist together and enjoy each other's company. This was opposites-attract done right. The tension was rewarded well, especially with the steamy scene before they had sex. Whilst I do have issues with Julian within the smut scenes that I've listed below, I still felt their chemistry was well done and appreciated the way they moved into the physical aspects of their relationship.
- I also think Bailey did a great job at repairing the relationship between Julian and his sister and mother. I found this side storyline one of my favourite aspects of the book, and was intrigued by how estranged Julian had become from the world and his family from past events, and equally how these two women needed him too.

Things I didn't quite enjoy
- The dirty sex talk. It's really cringe, and whilst I've read enough Tessa Bailey books to know there is no holding back when it comes to the spicy scenes, Julian goes from a rather sensible and rational thinker to almost a caveman with how he talks to Hallie. It's uncomfortable to read and deducted from me enjoying the smut scenes.
- On the topic of the smut, I wasn't thrilled with how unrealistic their first time was written, given Hallie's inexperience. I also felt that there was no need for this particular storyline. I know the author intended to make Hallie this sweet, chaotic, naive little sunshine to his grumpy possessive self, but it didn't come across as cute and pioneering as perhaps it was meant to.
- I don't get the whole secret admirer letters aspect - which was meant to be one of the bigger focuses of this book. Whilst they enabled both Julian and Hallie to speak their minds, it was a very juvenile action between two adults. Especially when Julian knew he wanted Hallie, but still reached out to the secret admirer? It was a little weak in plot devices for me.

Final thoughts
This was a cute read. I feel this was a "right time, right read" moment for me, as I was also reading a complex fantasy at the same time, so I consumed this light-hearted read in almost one sitting. It's nothing revolutionary, and some of the actions of the characters are cookie-cutter to previous characters by this author, but I liked the story that was told enough to overlook the moments that I didn't gel with. I enjoyed this book enough to have interest formed for the sequel, and am anticipating Natalie's and August's story.