Thanks for the opportunity to read this one early. I read enough to know I wanted to purchase it for our collection, and will recommend it in Readers' Advisory. I love all the entertaining contemporary romances being published lately, and so do my library customers, so keep them coming!

Georgette and Travis go way back. He is her brothers best friend. She is the "pest" in his childhood. But she's never taken seriously, which is really sad to see. She never shows her hurt feelings, makes excuses for people hurting her feelings.

I love Georgette's no holds barred attitude when she tried to shake Travis out of his depression funk. It was really cute to see she didn't give a crap what he dished at her. I really enjoyed this book. I loved his slow realizing love for her, it was sooooo darn cute. I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this digital ARC.
Was this a perfect book? No. Do I care about that? Not at all! I have been struggling to get through books lately and I read this one in a day. I'm literally craving more already and I just finished this. When a book gets you out of a big slump, it deserves all the stars.
Not only does this book have pining and angst, there's also fake dating and the main characters have known each other since they were kids. I mean, what more could you ask for? The cover is completely deceiving because I expected a very cutesy romance with possibly a fade-to-black love scene around the end. Nope! There's actually more love scenes sprinkled throughout and they're pretty explicit. Not that I minded. It was tastefully done, even when it was pretty dirty.
Travis and Georgie had some great banter throughout the book and the build-up was fantastic. Travis is a washed-up baseball player who can no longer play from an injury and Georgie is a professional clown. That is the most interesting profession I've read in a book in a while. I loved these two when they butted heads, I loved them when they were teasing each other, and I loved their revelations. The conflict that temporarily tears them apart is not the strongest but it makes sense. The climax is very movie-worthy. The supporting characters really round out this book! The Just Us League was funny and I could immediately see myself getting invested in their stories as well. I'm happy to see that there will be a sequel with the supporting characters and I will definitely be reading those as well. Tessa Bailey really knows how to write a sexy romcom and pull you in really early on. I was attached to all the characters from the get-go and rooting for all of them to have happy endings. Tessa Bailey hits a home run with this one and I eagerly want to read more from her.

Can a sweet childhood crush morph from fake dating into something real? That's the general premise of this book, the first in the author's new Hot and Hammered series.

Georgette "Georgie" Castle has had a crush on her brother's BFF, Travis "Two Bats" Ford since childhood. But given her status as the "young sister", and Travis' larger than life status (in more ways than one, hence the nickname), there has never been the slightest possibility of a romantic connection between them. However, things take a turn when Travis' baseball career comes to a grinding halt.

From the beginning, I liked Georgie's spunk. She gives Travis the much-needed kick in the ass and forces him to stop the pity party of one. Once doing so, Travis reconnects with Georgie's brother, Stephen and decides to work on with his home reno business, until he can find a better gig. That gig eventually leading the two main characters to plan a fake relationship to improve both of their images (we romance readers this "fake" relationship plan always backfires).

I had mixed feelings about Travis as a character. I liked how he eventually comes to realize his feelings for Georgie were far from fake, but I don't like that he didn't even consider her until she did a personal makeover, in her quest to be taken more seriously by her family. Despite my mixed feelings, the physical chemistry between Georgie and Travis is smokin', not a surprise given that is the author's forte.

"You make me better and I wish - I fucking wish I could do the same for you, but all I can offer is me."

The author does a great job of setting the stage for the series, with a number of side characters to have their own stories in following books. Several of those characters we come to learn about in Georgie's women's group, the Just Us League (great play on words). I loved the whole idea of this group, encouraging each other to achieve their dreams. Rosie and Dominic are up next, and based on this book, I think their story will be a good one. Overall, this was a fun and sexy read, and I look forward to more in this series.

3.5 stars - This was a fun read, but it was different than what I was expecting. I loved the story of Georgie and her childhood crush, Travis (who also happens to be her brother's best friend). They reconnect as adults, after Travis has to retire from baseball due to an injury, and the hot and heavy romance starts up. Georgie was so wonderful & quirky, and I loved her personality so much. She had me laughing on multiple occasions with her antics! I don't know why, but I wasn't expecting the amount of steam that there was in this book. It definitely is on the hot & heavy side with the steamy moments, just as an FYI to all of you who don't enjoy that! Overall, I did think that this was a cute romance book, but there were some parts that were just a little off for me personally. It was a fun book, though!

Do not be fooled by this cute cover, Tessa Bailey brought the heat! (baseball jargon, anyone?) This was my first Tessa Bailey read and I definitely need to get my hands on some more. I have heard her books are nice and steamy but this cover looked super cute… no worries, it was the perfect blend! I absolutely adored Georgie in this book. She starts out as the epitome of a little sister who is just starting to navigate adulthood at 22 and grows throughout the book. Travis also has a great story arc, he goes from baseball star to free agent due to injury, losing all the wind from his sails. As Georgie and Travis form a friendship and fake relationship to help each other get something they want, they both learn more about what they are capable of. I found parts of this to be really funny (lo mein incident) and also heartfelt, two things I love in romance reads!

4.5 stars! I loved so many things about this book, the evolution of Georgie and her family, her fight to be seen as more than the youngest Castle sibling was emotional and I loved how the relationships developed. But more, I loved the way she knocked Travis clear off his feet and helped him to see himself differently. This book was so well written and the perfect blend of humour and light drama. I cannot wait for the next book!

Fix Her Up was the first novel I've read by Tessa Bailey, and it certainly won't be my last! It's fun and flirty, making me speed through the novel even though I wanted to bask in the world Bailey's created. However, it also has a great amount of depth, as both protagonists must overcome the assumptions others make about them, whether it that Georgie is not an adult to be taken seriously, or that Travis is a one-dimensional player for other's entertainment. I love a good fake-dating plot, and Travis and Georgie's chemistry was off the charts. The novel did a great job of setting up its companion novel, Love Her or Lose Her, without being too over the head. My only issue was with the ending. I wish there was a bit more angst before everything got sorted out. Nevertheless, Fix Her Up is a novel I'm recommending to everyone who likes to read romance, whether novice or newbie.

Fix Her Up is the first book I’ve read from Tessa Bailey. This romcom follows Georgie, a young woman who wants to be taken seriously despite her age and profession, lands herself fake dating Travis, her childhood crush / her brother’s best friend / former baseball star. Initially the cute illustrative cover and premise intrigued me to read this novel. It wasn’t at all what I expected. The novel was definitely steamier than I anticipated it to be which I didn’t mind. The story started off pretty strong, however as I kept reading further, most of the scenes ended up being cringeworthy and too cheesy for me which I couldn’t overlook. I also wasn’t a big fan of the typical virgin female and player male main characters which I feel is overused and pretty dull to me. Unfortunately, this wasn’t my type of romance, but if you like the whole dating your best friend’s brother and fake dating sort of romance then this is for you.

My first Tessa Bailey, but not my last! Fix Her Up is a fun romantic comedy with an older brother’s best friend trope (one of my favorite). While Georgie and Travis initially come together for a mutually beneficial fake relationship, it never feels that way, and honestly they were kidding themselves from the beginning. Georgie wishes for her family (and others in their small town) to treat her and see her like the adult she is; Travis is coming off of a career-ending injury and finds himself needing an image remake in order to land a job as a baseball commentator. Thus the basis of their "relationship" is born.

There were times I wish the characters were a little more fleshed out (Travis’ backstory in particular), but they both had clear voices and reasons for why they chose to enter into a farce. It's clear they both feel something more than friendship for each other and in the end they seem to hide the truth from themselves more than anyone else. Once they get together it is steamier than the cover leads you to think. I like that the cute and fun dynamic that started their friendship didn't disappear though.

Georgie's family served as great side characters, even if at times they seemed a little self-involved (at least in regards to her) and over the top. I am glad to see that this will be a series, as we are introduced to others, such as Rosie, who clearly have stories to be told. (And, I believe Rosie's is the next one we will get.)

Of course, our main characters suffer from the requisite misunderstanding that leads to the big gesture of every rom com movie and book out there, but I didn't mind it as we all read these to get to that happily ever after.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

It’s been a minute since my last Bailey book. This one was really cute and fun. Georgie with her witty banter and Travis with his dirty talking self. It was nice to see Georgie trying to break free from the little kid mold her family has her in. Being the youngest and with her super cool profession as a clown, not a lot of people take her seriously. Travis has a not so great rep from his baseball days and he has a lot of resentment about his past. Things get a little dicey her and there but overall, I really enjoyed reading it.

3.5 stars...
Fix Her Up is a story about Georgie and her undying love for Travis the local superstar now back home after injuries. Georgie proposes that her and Travis pretend they are dating in order for him to get a job and for her to no longer be the baby sister in the family. I struggled so much with the book because I loved the concept so much. Georgie was fearless and comfortable in her own skin. She brings Travis out of his dark cloud and their relationship was very cute. Where I struggled was the language and I promise I am not a prude. I read this books for the romance and sex but this had me cringing. I did not find it sexy in the least and it was creepy most of the time. I'm still trying to figure out why it bothered me so much...........

Georgette Castle is the baby of the family--the only way to get attention is being funny, the clown of the family and town. Literally. Georgie is a professional clown due to that no one takes her seriously especially her family. To top it off her childhood crush returned to town. Georgie is at her wits end. She needs to be taken seriously.

Travis Ford returns home a broken man after being traded from team to team after his shoulder injury. He feels like a complete failure, not even his World Series ring can make him feel better. His best friend's baby sister little Georgie waltzes into his room--throws food at him. The sprite yells at him for the way he's been moping, wallowing and the way he's been living the past few months. Georgie doesn't leave him alone after that either. She brings him leftovers and helps him clean his apartment. What does he do in return? He fantasizes about her. He can't treat her like he does other women. 1) she's Stephen's baby sister, 2) Georgie is different, 3) she's a virgin.

If he wants the broadcast job, he has to show he's as wholesome and family oriented as the network. Georgie wants everyone to look at her differently and to be taken seriously. They make a deal--fake date until Travis gets the job. Too bad they both develop feelings for each other along the way. It doesn't help that both Stephen and Travis's dad further complicate their relationship.

2/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this title before its release date.

Do not let that cute illustrated cover fool you - this book is straight up filthy haha.

Fix Her Up follows Georgie, a children's entertainer whose family runs the best house-flipping business in her Long Island town. Georgie's older brother's best friend Travis, former MLB baseball star, returns to town after a career-ending injury. Georgie wants to be taken more seriously by her family; Travis needs to change his image into something more wholesome if he wants a shot at a new commentator position; so the two concoct a plan to "fake date" to both get what they want.

I didn't dislike this book but I did think that a lot of it was ridiculous. The ending was so over the top that even I, a romantic at heart, was rolling my eyes. I wasn't a huge fan of the whole "virgin and experienced lover" trope but it is what it is. Also, Travis calling her "baby girl" every other line made me want to gouge my eyes out.

I think that maybe this type of romance isn't necessarily what I'm into, which is fine. A lot of people love this! I think that I might like a little bit more complex story with my smut. But I think a lot of people will enjoy this, especially if you are already a fan of Tessa Bailey's books.

Perfection!

Brother’s Best Friend ✔️
Fake Dating ✔️
Quirky Heroine ✔️
Hot AF Tessa Bailey Sex Scenes ✔️✔️

Fix Her Up is now hands down my favorite Tessa Bailey book! The chemistry and emotion between Georgie and Travis explodes off the page, along with some ice cream and lo-mein, and absolutely enthralls.

She’s a party clown who wants to be taken seriously and he’s a baseball phenom who’s down on his luck and together they support each other in a way that is wonderfully fulfilling and satisfying. Add in her crazy family and the citizens of Port Jeff and Fix Her Up becomes everything I love about a small town contemporary romance.

I am beyond in need of Dominic and Rosie’s story and more of Port Jeff and the Just Us League!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.

Georgie Castle has been in love with her brother’s best friend forever. Travis Ford has returned home after an injury has derailed his baseball career. He is wallowing right now, and Georgie is the perfect person to drag him out of his pity party. Georgie gets Travis to pretend to date her. Georgie is trying to help Travis with his image (to land a new job) and she wants to change her image. She is tired of her family not taking her seriously and she wants to shock them.

I am a huge fan of Tessa Bailey’s books. Sadly, this isn’t my favorite book by her. At times I felt like I wasn’t reading a TB book. It felt choppy to me. I liked the idea of the female empowerment, but I felt like Georgie getting her business going was dropped. I also didn’t get why Georgie liked Travis. I usually love Tessa Bailey’s male leads, but Travis wasn’t all that great.

I think if you love brother’s best friend romances you might still like this so give it a go.

Copy provided in exchange for a voluntary review

I am going to start out by saying this is my first Tessa Bailey book. She's been on my radar for a while now, I just never got around to reading any of her books. I have been into illustrated covers for years. I love the simplistic feel of them. A cover doesn't have to be over done to sell in my opinion.

In Fix Her Up we get to meet Georgie Castle, the youngest sibling of Castle family, and well shes quite a clown, not figuratively but literally. I loved this concept because I've never read a book where the heroine was, well a clown. In her family shes not taken seriously and wants to shed this image not just with family but the entire town. But she remains passionate about her career. This isn't just some job to her, it's been part of her for a long time. Travis Ford has been her crush since she was a kid, and harboring these feelings for him never entirely went away, so when he moves back to town her feelings grow even more.

Travis is a former MBA player who's only home because of an injury that caused him to take a break from the league. Feeling depressed and out of place, he calls up his best-friend, who just happens to be Georgie's brother. She sets out to make him feel better about himself and in turn doing so finds herself shedding the image she thought about herself. Watching these two grow together was probably the best thing about this book. Georgie begins her journey of feeling comfortable in her own skin while Travis begins seeing himself through Georgie's eyes, not just some soon-to-be has
been.

The book starts out with a crush turning into a friends-with-benefits transforming into something more than either could have hope for. Travis is the sequential boy-next-door turned ladies man, he might be harder for people to connect to than Georgie, but if you're like me then you'll grow to like then love him.

There were other parts of the book that I loved as well, that included secondary characters, such as Bethany and Rose and their Just Us League. Those parts of the book were hilarious and we get to see more of their lives. I honestly can't wait for their books!

For my first Tessa Bailey, I loved this book! And I do recommend this to anyone who loves a brothers best friend book.

ARC generously provided by Netgalley, publisher and author, Thank you so much!


★★★★ Baby Girl Stars

4.5 STARS!

Fix Her Up was adorably witty, sweet, and oh so sexy #rawr. Now, before I get into talking about this wonderful book I should let the cat out of the bag and state that this is my first book read by Tessa Bailey. And yes I know, what the H am I thinking!? (Idk if listening to Reniassance Man counts, hm). Anyways, let's talk about this book... I absolutely loved it! It was so angsty, le sigh.

Georgette Castle is our heroine. She's quirky, funny, and states what's on her mind. Young at heart and for a living she's a... clown. Literally. I ain't joking! That alone makes her awesome. But Georgie feels unappreciated. No one takes her seriously nor treats her like a grown woman. That doesn't stop her from smiling at the world even when the world tends to bring her down. Then one Travis Ford returns to Port Jefferson; the guy she's always crushed on.

Travis Ford sustains an injury, which ultimately ends his baseball career. Returning back home to Port Jefferson is a rude awakening for him. People only see his status, how famous he once was, and how he used to be a ladies man. Now he's depressed, angry, and mopes around. Eventually, Georgie shakes him back to reality and makes him see that he's more then another famous baseball player.

Georgie and Travis form this unlikely friendship. With change and time, Travis begins to see Georgie as a beautiful woman and not as his best friend's little sister who used to be a pest. Sparks fly. The chemistry is phenomenal. Soon feelings get involved and oh the angst! #feels.

Overall, this story is perfect for audiences who love contemporary romance involving best-friend's-sister/brother tropes and just a good sexy story that will have you laughing and your heart hurting. I'm definitely excited for the next book in this series! 💃🏽


*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Avon Books (HarperCollins Publishers) through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

Fix Her Up opens with Georgie visiting Travis at home and waking his drunk ass up by throwing melting ice cream and lo mein on him. She manages to shock him into realizing the has-been cliché he's becoming. He gets a job working construction for his best friend, Stephen, who is Georgie's older brother. And suddenly he can't stop thinking about Georgie, why is that?

Georgie is the third child and all her parents' goals were covered by Stephen and Bethany, leaving her the afterthought, the one everyone still sees as a kid or the clown. She's got her own business, her own house, and wants to expand the business and be taken more seriously. When I first read she was a clown I wondered if it would be used for comedic purposes, but no, she really loves kids and keeping them entertained, and it's her business. It's not used for comedic effect at all.

Travis has a shot at an announcer job in New York (this book is set on Long Island) and needs to shake off his playboy image. The town is literally betting on who he's going to sleep with first when he gets back, that's how bad it is. It's not helping his self-esteem that the only thing people think he's good for now is one-night stands.

Georgie gives herself a makeover and forms a group with her sister, Bethany, and Rosie, who is married to Travis' co-worker. They agree to support each other and each other's business goals. I LOVED this part of the book. Bethany wants more at her job in the family firm but Stephen is blocking it (honestly, Stephen and his wife are insufferable). Rosie wants to own a restaurant but her husband has forgotten their dream - and how to talk to her - since he came back from serving from overseas. Georgie getting asked for bigger parties and more entertainment in order to expand her business. The Fix Her Up is really about Georgie working on her own strengths and building her life as she wants it, not about fixing something that's broken.

The fake relationship between Georgie and Travis intermingles with some intense sexual tension. You know that even as they claim they're going to, they're not going to keep their hands off each other. Neither of them have really been in a relationship before so it's fun to see them figure it out.

Fix Her Up has an excellent balance of developing romance and character growth for each of the leads. Sometimes I take issue with Bailey's writing being too surface level, but it was much more developed here. Looking forward to Dom and Rosie's story next and hopefully Bethany will get her own book.

They say never judge a book by the cover but the reason I requested an ARC copy of the newest from Tessa Bailey was due, in part, to the bright and colorful cover. I expected a fun read about 2 people falling in love with the backdrop of house flipping. While this book wasn’t anything like that, I enjoyed it and would definitely read the next in the series as well as more from Bailey.
Georgie Castle is the youngest in a family of home renovators but decided to forge her own career path as a professional clown, hired to entertain the town’s children at birthday parties. She has always been seen as the “little sister” and no one seems to take her seriously, especially her family. Travis Ford was destined for great things as the town’s baseball star and had his sights on a long career in the majors until an injury forced him to retire at 28. He returns home, lost and angry, with no idea what to do next. When Georgie, who happens to be his best friend’s sister, proposes a plan to help them both out, Travis is reluctant. Can they both become who they were meant to be without feelings getting in the way?
I would be very happy if all contemporary romance books read like this one did. There was nothing surprising in this book or too angsty. It was funny and light hearted while still being smart and at times emotional. Georgie was a great character because you can understand why she feels like she does. She genuinely loves being a clown (which is a very funny sentence to write). She likes making kids happy and her job fulfills her. The issue is the town and how they can’t seem to realize she’s a grownup and take her seriously…which leads to her having a makeover. BUT—this isn’t a typical book makeover where the heroine never realized how beautiful she actually was and now everything about her changes once she puts on a dress and heels. Georgie’s makeover makes her feel more adult and in turn changes the way she presents herself and interacts with her family and the town. It was refreshing to read. In fact, what I liked most about this book was that Bailey took what could be overused romance tropes (virgin, man who sleeps around, small town etc…) and made them feel believable in the context of the story. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to believe that Travis dates and sleeps around. It’s also not unbelievable that Georgie, living in a small own and being a clown, has a hard time dating. Overall, these plot devices worked for me. In terms of the spiciness level, don’t let the cutesy cover fool you. There are several sex scenes and they are hot, filled with description and dirty talk.
This book was my first by Tessa Bailey and I very much enjoyed it. I would recommend to people looking for something fun with a believable story and characters. I look forward to reading more by this author.