Member Reviews
Neither Georgie nor Travis needs fixing!
Children’s entertainer Georgie Castle was tired of ignored by her family even though they were the best contractors in town because she entertained kids for a living which didn’t get her many dates. Her brother’s best friend former baseball player Travis Ford found the bottom of a bottle after being forced to retire when Georgie forced him to deal with life and clean up his act.
Georgie wanted people to see her as an adult and create an entertainment company and not just be a clown at little kid’s birthday parties. Travis was tired of being in the tabloids because of his nickname and when his agent told him there was a chance for an announcing job but he had to clean up his image so pretend dating was good for both of them.
Fix Her Up is a cute romance with pretend dating somebody you have known your while life and the trouble and chaos that will bring to everybody.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4 Grand Slam Stars!!I love Tessa Bailey's style! This story is equal parts adorable, sexy, sweet, witty and steamy. It was a pleasure to read! I love the fake relationship trope and this is honestly such a good one! I just adore Georgie! She is funny, sweet and so innocent when it comes to relationships, but she has had it bad for Travis since she was a young girl. She is self supporting and driven and has a fun and quirky career that she is trying to turn into an entire business. She has not been very well supported by her family though. Travis is a former baseball star/player and may not my favorite person at first, but he goes a long way to redeem himself and make me love him, thanks to Georgie! He, unlike her family, really sees her, even if it took a little bit. How could he not fall in love with her?
Georgie and Travis are such a great couple and are simply magical together!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
This is my first Tessa Bailey read, but I promise you it won’t be my last. Travis and Georgie’s backgrounds were entertaining, emotional, and relatable. Georgie’s is more of a coming of age story, while Travis has already lived quite a life at a young age and now struggles to find his purpose. While their stories and hardships are different, their goal to grow up and be taken seriously is the same. Georgie’s character is a bit unconventional, but she is strong and so likable. Travis is perfect book boyfriend material—arrogant and rough around the edges, but also sexy and sweet. Romance readers will love this one!
Wow, I really liked this book! Friends-to-lovers or older-brother's-friend relationships are always fun. I also appreciated that there was drama, but there wasn't so much drama that this book became less of a fun, beachy read.
I thought Georgie was really cute, sweet, likeable, and very relatable. It's refreshing to have a character that's inexperienced, and that inexperience is not a major plot point. I mean, it is a plot point, but the author did not make a huge deal of it, which I appreciated.
I had a really hard time liking her brother Stephen and her sister-in-law. I'm sure they have redeeming qualities, but for the most part they seemed one dimensional. Like, why would Travis be friends with Stephen, even?
The book also was more explicit than I was expecting based on the summary and the cover. It didn't bother me, but I could see some people being put off. I was expecting a little more PG-13 than it ended up being.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and provide feedback! I will be recommending this book to patrons and friends.
This book was HOT. I hadn't read any of Tessa Bailey's books prior to this one, but was attracted to it by its cute cover. I really liked the main characters and was interested in the supporting one. Seriously, so hot.
As I was browsing to see what book I should read next, I stopped o Tessa Bailey's upcoming book, Fix Her Up. I loved this cover. I am digging on the "cute" and "animated" covers that are coming into the Romance genre lately. Then I read the title and blurb.. Fix Her Up sounded fun and yummy!
As I dug into the story, I realized that it was coming out differently than what I anticipated. I adored Georgie. I didn't realize how much passion she could have with the line of work she is in. Then when she open a can of whoop <behind> on Travis, I was laughing hard. Her personality shined through the whole book. She brought me to a happy place!
Travis is reserved and mysterious. You know he is self loathing, but one he truly see Georgie, his passion gets intense. I got addicted to him as well.
I loved this story and a new fan of Tess Bailey. I am invested with these characters and cannot wait for Rosie's and Dom's story next!
This was a well-written and plotted sports romance to their that I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters were interesting and much developed than in some romances.
Georgie has always had a crush on her brother's best friend, who has become a major league baseball player. When he comes back home injured and unable to play, Georgie reaches out to him and they become friends until they have to become "fake" boyfriend and girlfriend so he can get another job. But is it really fake?
I loved the cover too!
Thanks to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
***I received this book via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***
This was a fun book full of tropes I'm not a fan of. The characters are interesting and easy to like. But this combines unrequited love, dating a friend's sibling, and fake dating. The over-protective older brother thing just always rubs me the wrong way.
Georgie is a fun heroine. She is navigating growing up and having her family see her as an adult. I think this is a relatable situation. I enjoyed reading about the interpersonal dynamic especially between her and her sister, Bethany.
Travis is a former baseball who was forced out by an injury. He also had a tough history. Personally, I like damaged characters like this. (I am not analyzing what that says about me) I do wish his childhood was explored more. He is a pretty standard romance hero.
The romance was cute. There's some fake-dating elements. It's super tropey. Georgie and Travis have good chemistry and push each other (in a good way). I found the sex scenes a little off-putting though. It was very aggressive which on its own doesn't bother me. But it felt like it didn't make sense. Maybe I'm just too judgy.
I enjoy the female friendships/sequel bait. I am definitely interested in the next book. It is about a struggling married couple and I'm all about that.
4 1/2 "Baby Girl" Stars!!
Holy Smokes!! I'm still fanning myself as I type this review. Fix Her Up was such a pleasant surprise for me. I've read Tessa Bailey before and enjoy her writing style. However, judging from the cover, I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. Let's just say, even though the cover may not perfectly fit the story, I still love it. It's a good depiction of the sweet side of their relationship. Once you get into the book, you can experience the hot and steamy side and I assure you it is smoking hot.
Travis is a former professional baseball star whose career was abruptly cut short because of an injury. He's recently moved back to his home town and is wallowing in misery over his lost career. Georgie is the youngest sister of Travis' best friend. She has followed Travis' baseball career faithfully and has secretly had a crush on him since she was a teenager. Georgie is a clown (yes, really) and is hoping to grow her party planning business into an entertainment company that does parties for all age groups not just the "under five' crowd.
Travis and Georgie end up faking a relationship with individual goals in mind. Travis needs to clean up his womanizing reputation in hopes of getting a new job as an announcer for a baseball team and Georgie wants her family and the town to take her seriously and stop treating her like a child. What neither of them count on is falling in love. Travis has never had a girlfriend. He's only ever had one night stands and Georgie has never had sex so they are quite a pair. They quickly become protective of one another though and to me that was the sweetest thing. Travis was furious when her family ignored her and discounted her opinion. Likewise, Georgie was livid when fans and/or reporters made Travis feel like he wasn't worth anything as a person. All along you knew Georgie had a crush, but you saw her truly falling in love with Travis. She fell in love with the real Travis who did kind things for her, encouraged her and stood up for her. Meanwhile, even though he tried to fight it, Travis fell in love with Georgie too. She basically crawled into his heart and took up residence. Oh and don't even get me started on his dirty talk during sex or that he nicknamed Georgie "Baby Girl." My heart just pitter patters all over the place.
I noted that another book is in the works for this series and I look forward to it. I thought the secondary characters in Fix Her Up were great so hopefully there will be plot lines for several books. My only disappointment was the lack of an epilogue, but it makes sense that we will get followup with these characters in the subsequent books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with this ARC.
A cute read featuring two likable leads. I also enjoyed their friends and am looking forward to seeing them again in the rest of the series.
First let me say thank you to HarperCollins Publishing, Avon Books, and Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review of Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
You may look at the cover of this book and think it is so obvious: handy man meets girly girl....even the tagline says "Love wasn't in the blueprints..." but let me tell you, this cover and tagline does not do justice to the depth and complexity of the characters and the plot. Here is the real summary!
Travis Ford was a major league baseball player hitting home runs on and off the field...until he was injured and cut from the league. He somehow finds himself back in the town he grew up in, working for his best friend, who owns a house-flipping business. His star quality and player reputation follows him everywhere, and all he wants to do is not feel like a failure. That's where Georgie, his best friend's little sister, comes in. Georgie is much more grown up and feistier than Travis remembers. Georgie's full-of-life personality has her wanting to improve her whole life - upgrade her birthday-clown act into a full entertainment business, revamp her wardrobe, and get her family to start treating her like an adult. Maybe Travis and Georgie can help each other get to where they're trying to go....
Okay, so, the good things about this book were how complex Travis and Georgie (and almost all the characters) were. Travis is definitely a trope of player-not-ready-to-commit but there were a lot more layers to him that made the trope easier to swallow. Same thing with Georgie, the "girl with not much experience" trope faded to the background with the scenes of her being a birthday clown - that was hella original and entertaining! I also thought both of their voices (which switch back and forth with the narrative) were really well developed. So many times leading characters voices start to sound the same, and Tessa Bailey did a great job (especially in this longer book - 400 pages!) keeping their voices clear and different.
My main issue with this novel: there's just too much going on. It's unclear for a bit what Travis wants, they hook up but then decide to fake a relationship(??) to achieve their goals, lines are clearly crossed in the fake relationship but not addressed, the flipping-houses business doesn't just take a backseat, it's in the trunk! yet the cover and tagline make it seem like it's a huge part of the plot?! It's not at all! There are just so many plot lines going in different directions
Also a fair warning, this book is filthy!!!!! I was unprepared! I might even say it was dirtier than The Kiss Quotient! There is nothing wrong with that, but I had no idea!
The saving grace of this novel was the Just Us Club. I won't get into too much detail because it's such a great part of the story, but empowered women, empowering other women; Girl Gang 4 Life; independent ladies gettin' stuff done, etc - just awesome. And once again, just like The Proposal and Waiting for Tom Hanks, it looks like a spin-off series is in the works! So even thought I didn't love this novel, I will most likely be coming back to check out Tessa Bailey's other work.
If you liked Intercepted or Fumbled, this has the same sports-y vibe, but hits more on messy family dynamics than living in the world of sports. More like how sports are very present throughout The Proposal, but not the focus.
Georgie is the youngest sibling (and professional clown) who gets no respect from her family or community. Travis is a former pro Baseball player (and just player in general) who is back in his home town after a career ending injury. She was always just his best friend's goofy kid sister, but now....?
The chemistry is there, the sex is there, but their hangups and motivations didn't quite hit, for me - though I am neither a youngest sibling, nor was I ever interested in playing sports (or dating those who do). However, it makes a good summer read.
Are you wondering if a book can be absolutely adorable and absolutely filthy at the the same time? Well the answer is YES, yes it can. This book was a wonderful surprise from the very first scene–which includes flying food and is my favorite by the way. You’ll see.
Georgie is a sassy, smart, little spitfire! Honestly, I just fell absolutely in love with her in this book. Her strength as she pursues her dreams and supports her friends is so inspiring. Which leads me to the female friendships that are developing in this story. These ladies are supporting each other, listening to each other, and rooting for each other. It’s beautiful really, and adds so much to the story. I can’t wait for book two–Love Her or Lose Her–where we get the story of the next strong lady in the group!
Travis Ford is one damaged man, and I’m here for the growth. You don’t get to choose your biological family, and you sure as hell can’t stop bad things from happening, but you can’t give up. We get to watch Travis figure this out and it’s so heart warming. Plus, his sexy side, I mean this book is STEAMY. I hope you’re ready for his filthy mouth!
I loved, loved loved this book! It had all my favorite aspects of a romance novel, both characters' perspectives, chemistry, cute moments, family and more. I loved the main characters and Georgie's siblings. Some of the other secondary characters were a little incomplete to me but it didn't take away from the story. The sex scenes were very descriptive and hot, so maybe only for mature audiences, Definitely recommending this to my fellow romance lovers!
Boy howdy does the heat sizzle in this one... and it literally starts with the first page.
Georgette Castle is refusing to let Travis wallow in self deprecation. He is her older brothers best friend and first guy she ever had a crush on. She is determined to see him succeed and not let this setback keep him down. She loves what she does, a clown/entertainer for children's birthday parties.... but she wants more, and she wants Travis to expand his horizons too. For him to see he is more than baseball.
Travis' professional career in baseball is over. It's the only thing he's wanted his whole life. Now he is back in his hometown, and his best friend's little sister won't leave him alone. Sucking it up he works for Georgette's families real estate company.
Getting Travis out of his funk is hard work but Georgette is determined to succeed. The more they work together, the more Travis sees Georgie in a different light.
What happens? You'll have to one click to find out
I really enjoyed this story! It was a fun, sweet read about a baby sister and her brother’s best friend. There were some great comedic moments, sweet and sexy, and some serious mixed in. Travis is a complicated man who has some demons to deal with, even though he projects cocky and confident to the world. He’s figuring out what’s next in life, since his injury that took him out of his career in baseball. Georgia has always been stuck in the comedic, baby sister role in her family (and in life, since she is literally a clown at kid’s parties), but is ready for everyone to take her seriously. I loved how the relationship between these two developed. I’m looking forward to reading more about the other characters in the next books in this series! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC through Netgalley.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me an ARC from one of my favorite authors!
Georgie just wants to be taken seriously… kinda hard in her profession, but the heart wants what it wants.
Oddly retired pro baseball player, and Georgies older brothers best friend, Travis is looking for pretty much the same thing.
Antics between the two follow. We wouldn’t want anything else, would we? For real!
Tessa Bailey is in the top of my one click list for a reason… she writes characters with so much depth and heart that they draw you into their lives until you never want to leave their world!
I’m thrilled that this book is #1 in her new Hot and Hammered series. I need more of these spunky, sweet heroines and gruff, adorable heroes!
★·.·´¯`·.·★ ŞⓌ𝔬ⓞ𝐧 ★·.·´¯`·.·★
Fix Her Up will be available on June 11th from HarperCollins! So be ready! You dont want to miss this one!!!
Loved this. So much. I was sold on the tropes from the get go (older brother’s best friend, friends(ish) to lovers, fake relationship) but I was not anticipating this book. It knocked me upside the head with its sweetness, its steam, its banter. Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. Did I mention the steam?
Fix Her Up was absolutely delightful! Tessa Bailey develops real depth to her characters. They are likable even if they have some faults.
I read this in one sitting!
This books follows a few familiar tropes, fake relationships, best friend younger siblings, lifelong crush, etc. Georgie Castle, has had a crush on Travis Ford forever. He’s moved back in town because of an injury that ended his baseball career. After sulking around and feeling sorry for himself, Travis attempts to adjust to his new life. He starts to work with his best friend’s home renovation business and soon has an opportunity to be a baseball announcer. To clean up his previous playboy image, he enlists Georgie to be his girlfriend until he secures the job.
I thought this story was okay. It did make me smile that this takes place on Long Island. I found the supporting characters more interesting than Georgie and Travis’s relationship, and look forward to their story. But overall, I would just rate this book as okay.