Its' been so long since I have read a Tessa Bailey book, I don't know what I was waiting for. Love Her or Lose Her is book two in the Hot and Hammered Series. Love Her or Lose Her can be read as a standalone, but in my personal opinion, it is much better if you have read the first book in the series, Fix Her Up, first. Rosie and Dominic have been together since junior high, physically, but being together physically isn't everything in a relationship.
Lover Her or Lose Her, is a Rom -Com. The characters, all of the them are well developed and compliment each other in such a way that makes this a easy and enjoyable read.
If you like Rom-Com, second chance romance or small town love stories, this is definitely a book and series for you to read.

probably 3.5
Dominic and Rosie Vega have been together since middle school but now their relationship has hit a few snags. Former Marine Dominic is quiet in the extreme, despite the fact that he's a faithful husband and provider, Rosie can no longer recognize the man she fell in love with and she's had enough. With encouragement from friends, Rosie decides to pursue her dream of opening her own restaurant, with or without Dominic, though she gives him the option of last-ditch marriage counseling, thinking he'll never do it, but this way she'll have tried and won't feel guilty.

Rosie is shocked when Dominic agrees. Not only that but counseling shows her she's also at fault for the deterioration of their relationship. As Rosie and Dominic complete their ridiculous therapy and learn one another's love languages, their relationship comes out stronger than ever, until a secret Dominic has kept for over a year threatens to derail their progress.

I don't typically read a lot of contemporary romance but I requested this one at a time when my husband was annoying me -- he's definitely the strong and silent type as well so I thought this could at least be entertaining. And it was. I really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down once I got into it, although I think that may just be because I was stressed and wanting them to get it together. I know several reviewers don't like Dominic and think he's too possessive, but really I think this is his way of showing love and it's rather endearing. I think he got the short end of the stick here and his only desire in life was Rosie and whatever she wanted and he really didn't get much from her in return. Which she finally did realize.

I loved the exploration of love languages and communication and that both characters were so flawed. It made them seem real and relatable. I think Dom's post-war PTSD issues should've been explored more after their brief mention of why he struggles to communicate and then that just goes away. I think it would've been more fulfilling to explore that just a bit at least. Dominic actually was very sweet once Rosie opened her eyes to how insecure and unworthy he was feeling. This was lovely once they learned to communicate, although I would've liked a bit more real conversation between Rosie and Dominic; it was like once they saw each other clearly, everything was better than ever and a lot was left unsaid that I would've liked to see written out. I did enjoy this one and plan to go back to the previous book and then continue with this series.

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

I was generously provided an ARC by the publisher for an honest review.

Ya’ll are gonna need a fan to get through this book because Tessa Bailey does not play games— this book is hot. Rosie and Dominic are familiar characters if you read the first book in the Hot & Hammered series, Fix Her Up, but if you haven’t, then boy are you lucky. Rosie and Dominic have an incredible level of chemistry and Fix Her Up does not prepare us for the absolute smoking hotness that is their relationship.

Bailey opens her novel by throwing us into the deep end of Rosie and Dom’s relationship. High school sweethearts with a nearly a decade of marriage beneath their belts, Rosie and Dom are no longer on the same page. They don’t speak to one another, eat dinner with one another, hang out with friends together, etc. The only thing they do together is have hot, hot sex. How hot you ask? Let’s let Dom take the floor for a moment:

“Listen closely. If I can play ‘just the tip’ with your virgin pussy for a fucking year, I can play the long game to get my wife back.”

But for Rosie, their sex life is the last vestige of what their relationship used to be like. But for Dom, their sex life is proof that their marriage is working. From the first few pages it is clear that Rosie and Dom are no longer communicating about their desires, wants, or goals for the future. Rosie believes that their marriage is over, but Dom has only just learned that his wife is unhappy. Again, they on completely different pages. Rosie decides to challenge Dom to attend marriage counseling, assuming that he will baulk at the uncomfortable setting where he’d be expected to express his innermost thoughts and feelings. However, this is a romance novel and of course Dom is in it to win it— he accepts Rosie’s challenge and in doing so, he begins to learn how to express himself.

Dom is Puerto Rican. This is extremely important to mention because Dom’s entire understanding of relationships and family life comes from watching his parent’s very traditional latino marriage:

“His jaw hardened. No. [Rosie] was supposed to stay regardless. His parents weren’t necessarily close, but they respected each other. His mother depended on Dominic’s father, had always been confident in his ability to give her a comfortable life. They were a united front at the weddings, funerals, and barbecues Rosie and Dominic attended for his mother’s side of the family. Botton line, they’d stayed together, through hard times and good…They’d sworn to stay together until the end and they damn well would. They didn’t even sleep in the same bedroom, but they admired each other. He and Rosie, they had a lot more than mutual admiration. Didn’t they?”

I’m Puerto Rican also (WEPA!) so I was super excited to see a boricua character in a novel. It almost felt like seeing a familiar face— you love to see real diversity in romancelandia. I absolutely understand Dom’s perspective on marriage. Immigrant and marginalized couples are bound by more than love or lust. They are teammates working together to cobble together the American Dream. Unfortunately for Dom, I side with Rosie. I don’t believe that mutual admiration and a commitment to stay is enough. My grandparents were married over fifty years before Papi passed away and although our family likes to romanticize their story, I don’t really know if they had a healthy love that went beyond cohabitation.

As a modern and independent woman, I want more. I can pay my own bills (mostly) and I can survive on my own (mostly). If I am going to open my heart and life to someone else, I want something special in return. In this sense, I feel close to Rosie.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It was sexy, it was funny, it was heartfelt— Tessa Bailey put it all in here and then some. There is one note that I have though and I will admit it is probably pretty knit-picky. I fervently hope that we will see more white and/or white presenting writers explore new stories through POC characters. But, if white authors want to accurately portray these characters and worldviews then they must be sure interview someone who has the same cultural background as their character.

Bailey may have described Dom as Puerto Rican and he may have a hotAF Puerto Rican flag tattoo on his shoulder, but beyond that, I did not really feel a connection with Dom. Puerto Rican Americans have a lot in common— we love our flag, we love our food, we love our music, we love our families, and we love our Island. If I walk up to any Puerto Rican here in the states or on the island, we have at least 15 things we can talk about. With Dom, I felt there were key cultural connections missing from his character development. I’m happy to list the reasons here:

1. Puerto Rican men who have tattoos of the flag on their shoulder, also have the flag on their trucks. This is a law of nature. Dom does not have a flag hanging from his mirror nor does he have a flag as a bumper sticker.

2. Dom’s mother and father are alive. There is not a Latino parent on this planet who is okay with a child who never calls. At no point in the novel does Dom have a conversation with his mother. I can’t believe this because my mother calls me twice a day, every day. Every latino I know speaks to their family on a weekly basis, including family in other parts of the world (hello group chat!).

3. Rosie and Dom have been married for nearly a decade— without children. The issue is not that they don’t have children, it’s that not one member of Dom’s very extensive boricua family is hounding the two of them for progeny. Any latino knows that questions about your individual relationship status and past/future pregnancies is always part of any family get together.

4. I have no problem believing that Dom had no idea his marriage was in trouble. But I cannot fathom how Dom’s mother and tias had no idea his marriage was in trouble. There is not a latina mother on this planet who wouldn’t hesitate to call her daughter-in-law if she is worried about her son. Also, gossip is the chosen currency in latino families. I find it difficult to believe that Dom and Rosie’s relationship, lack of children, and lack of warmth wasn’t dissected over un cafecito across the Bronx.

I would encourage white and white presenting writers to connect with many different people from various cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds. When these details are failed to included, readers like myself can only half-hearted cheer for the characters that look like /sound like / pray like / eat like us. I find myself completely thrown out of the story and while I was able to really enjoy Dom and Rosie’s journey, I didn’t feel like my lived experience was captured on the page.

Final Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendation: Once you finish reading Love Her or Leave Her, read about your own love language! Here is a fun little quiz to find out how you express love and how you best wish to receive love.

Also, please let me know if I am absolutely insane for being annoyed that Dom isn’t rocking a Puerto Rican flag tattoo on the cover. I’m very annoyed about this.

I am DNFing this one at 40%. I know a lot of people enjoyed this book and it's banter but I could not get past Dom's possessiveness. This is entirely based off my personal experiences. I really enjoyed Fix her Up and I will give future books a try, this one was just not for me.

I was provided an eARC in exchange for a honest review by Netgalley and HarperCollings.

Tessa Bailey gives readers a unique second chance romance involving a married couple that has drifted apart over the years. The novel offers readers two strong main characters, a bit of humor, a little angst, and a happy ending. If you love second chance romances, read this novel and enjoy.

Excuse me while I take a cold shower and fan my face. You see, this book is scorching hot. HOT, I tell you. Of course. If you’re familiar with Tessa Bailey, you’d know it’s to be expected. Whew, hopefully I’ve cooled down enough to write a coherent review.

First thing, I’d recommend reading Fix Her Up first although isn’t not 100% necessary. There’s just a lot of character overlap and I always prefer to read in order. We meet shy Rosie and quiet Dom previously so I was t expecting their explosive relationship. And I don’t mean violent in any way. It’s just that these two have such raw chemistry despite the problems in their marriage.

I won’t spoil plot details but essentially the entire book is Rosie and Dom trying to save their marriage despite some pretty big obstacles, mostly dealing with a lack of communication. Dom is a great guy whack doesn’t talk much and doesn’t know how to express his feelings in a way that makes Rosie know how much he cares. Rosie is sick of feeling less than herself and not talking to her husband.

A lot of the book is actually pretty funny, especially moments with the ‘Justus’ league. All the old characters are back and provide a lot of depth and levity to the book. The writing is fast paced, banter is great, sooo many reasons why I enjoyed it. There are definitely some serious moments as well and I shed a few tears related to both Rosie and Dom’s feelings on their marriage.

The ending is perfect, though and has a nice little set up to the next couple!

LOVE OUT LOUD

Romantic Comedy plus Marriage-on-the-Rocks equals the perfect combination, right? Yeah, it's not the first pairing I'd think of for a feel good rom-com either, but in this case it totally works.

"My heart. you get that, too. All of it. I'm begging you to take it back before it stops working. You're my home. I need you with me."

Now if you're looking for some emotional, angsty, woebegone realistic tale of a marriage on the brink that will make you ugly cry and feel totally depressed, stop right there. Love Her or Lose Her is a romantic comedy after all.

"We don't love each other the easy was. Dominic, but out hearts are in the right place every single time."

Rosie and Dominic's story balances heart-tugging emotions, swoony-sweetness, and insatiable love. Their love is fierce, committed love, old love and new love, a love that they've had for each other since they were teenagers and it's grown and evolved over the years. So much of their story is learning how to love each other for who they are now. To cast out insecurities and fears and learn to trust in each other to forge an even stronger love moving forward.

"Her husband needed actions to feel her love, and she would never stop finding new ways to show him, the same way he did for her with words. They would continue to grow a little more each day until they reached forever. They were best friends, soul mates . . . and perfectly, eternally flawed."

Love Her or Lose Her takes an unconventional mix and really makes it work. Rosie and Dominic's story is at it's core filled with love and some quirky and supportive friends (that you may remember from Fix Her Up that bring lots of humor.

[No cheating! HEA. (hide spoiler)]

Typically I love Tessa Bailey’s books. I know this is not a “women’s fiction” author, however, with the premise being a marriage in trouble I was hoping for a little more emotional depth. Based on the synopsis I really wanted to enjoy this book however it didn’t work out for me. I found the character development to be a bit shallow. As I read this book, I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters and did not buy into the idea that this was a marriage on the brink of divorce. Overall it was too light and fluffy for my personal preference.

***I ended up receiving this title via Edelweiss as well. Review posted to both.

I am really enjoying this series from Tessa Bailey. The characters are quirky and interesting. The stories are original and put a smile on your face.
Rosie and Dominic were unique. Yes, that's the word I am looking for. Rosie is outgoing, fun, and has a wonderful group of friends. Dominic was ex-military and came home a different man. He used to be fun, loving, insatiable. Now he just is. And … Rosie has had enough. Everyone but Dominic saw this coming. Now, they have some decisions to make. Rosie has no idea that Dominic will do whatever it takes to get his marriage back on track. He doesn't … can't ... live without his Rosie. It's time for him to step up, be the man he used to be, support his wife's dreams and just be there for her and for their marriage. Even as things start coming together, the marriage back on track, Dominic still has one secret he hasn't told Rosie and it may be the one that really tears the marriage apart.
From the Just Us League to Armie, I had times that I laughed and others that I was a little sad. But, I didn't stop reading Love Her or Lose Her until the end. I love how everyone pulls together and supports each other. I love how strong the woman are and how they make their men see the errors of their ways. Tessa Bailey just knows how to make me smile with her stories and I always look forward to her next one.

I really enjoyed this book because it seemed different from other romance novels. I don’t read that many romance novels that involve a long term relationship and I enjoyed how that impacted this love story.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
I loved Tessa Bailey's first novel and I got to know the characters from this book. I usually don't like to read books where the romance has gone stale or a couple is already married, but this one was surprising and lovely.

This married romance was everything I hoped it would be. The chemistry of the characters radiated off the page, but the best parts were Rosie and Dominic learning new communication skills and how to work with each others' love languages to connect and reform their relationship. They both truly wanted their relationship to work and were willing to do the work, and I enjoyed reading along as they learned.

Rosie and Dominic are a mid-20s married couple that met in grade school. After a deployment for Dominic, the spark in their relationship has died with the exception of their Tuesday nights. One day Rosie realizes she is fed up with this path, and the couple has to determine if their marriage is over, or if it's work fighting to stay together.

This is probably the steamiest book I've read - if that's your thing, read on. It was too heavy on the physical aspect of the relationship, and I would have preferred more substance, especially in Dominic's character development. A not-insignificant part of the book was about love languages and focusing on each other outside of their physical chemistry, but in each scene it came back over and over to just that.

I also was disappointed with some of the gender roles and character development, but did enjoy the build up of Rosie determining what's next for her in pursuing her (career) passion.

I was provided a complimentary ARC for an unbiased review through netgalley. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins.

"He might be the perfect husband. If only he’d give her the time of day."

Rosie and Dominic’s story was a marriage in trouble story. And as the title states, Dominic has to man up and love her, or he’s going to lose her. I will say that I expected this story to be more romcom, because the first book (Fix Her Up) had a healthy mix of serious and funny. LHOLH was definitely more on the emotional contemporary side of the spectrum. There are some lighter moments brought on from side characters that we met in book one, and of course there is the high heat factor, but this one was definitely more about fixing the marriage between the mains. And that topic is frustrating and emotional.

None the less. It’s a good read, and if you’ve never read a romance where the couple is already established and trying to maintain the establishment, then I definitely think you should try this one out. Rosie is trying to fix her marriage and take hold of her dreams. Dominic is trying to make his wife happy the best way he knows how. Rosie and Dominic both grow and learn in this story, but Dominic is definitely a possessive alpha male. He changes some in this book, but that’s definitely a key trait.

I read Fix Her Up by Bailey and could see this book coming from a mile away. There was a hyper focus on Dominic and Rosie’s sexual tension and their lack of communication in that novel. A theme that continues into Love her or Lose Her. What I did not see coming was all the discussion of “love languages.” While I have heard of it in the abstract, this was a very romantic, easily digestible example. It made me think about what my love language is, and how I relay it to those around me.

I enjoyed Rosie and Dominic's journey in salvaging their marriage. Dominic's devotion to Rosie was very clear throughout the novel, and I appreciated when Rosie came to realize that she had to take some blame in their issues as well. Taking accountability for your actions (or lack of actions) can often times be hard (especially when pride kicks in), but I liked that these two accepted that they both made mistakes. They felt like a real couple going through a rough patch that is often common with lack of genuine communication.

And I loved how this still felt like a Tessa Bailey novel, where the main characters had zero issues with burning up the sheets lol. Dominic was swoon-worthy with his love and refusal to give up on his marriage with Rosie, and Rosie was fierce and devoted to getting what she knew they both deserved as a marriage.

Tessa Bailey does it again. A sexy quick read of a couple finding their way back to each other. As someone who has been married for 7 years it's nice to have protagonists that are older, married and still ready to rip each other's clothes off. 10/10 would recommend! Can't wait for book 3!!!

Love Her or Lose Her is the story of a married couple, Dominic and Rosie. The couple met at a young age in school. There is hot sexual chemistry but nothing else. The couple grew apart mainly due to lack of communication. The story depicts the struggles married couples go through and the difficulty of maintaining a relationship especially when one partner does not communicate.

The book could have been a home run if it was not littered with profanity and explicit porn. I am not a prude, but I find when foul language is thrown into a novel on almost every page it distracts from the plot and believe me this is a really good realistic plot. This novel can draw a wider audience as it shows a couple struggling to save a marriage and most couples have similar experiences and can relate to Rosie and Dominic.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced readers copy.

I absolutely adored book 1 in the Hot & Hammered series by Tessa Bailey. Fix Her Up was witty, laugh out loud funny, and oh so swoony. Book 2, Love Her or Lose Her, I couldn't wait to read. I liked Rosie in book 1 and wanted her to have her HEA. There were some really good moments. I really liked the scenes with Armie. Some of the hotter scenes were indeed steamy. However, I found this couple to be entirely too frustrating. There was so much internal dialogue for the characters, and they repeated the issues ad nauseam. I got in the first half of the book - she needs words - he needs actions. But every other page repeated this same fact over and over, and yet, Dominic still used the fewest words of any character I have ever read. I wanted to shake them out of him! There were some really good, sweet moments between the characters, but these moments were too short in my opinion. They needed more dialogue and less internal musings. When it was all said and done, I am glad I read the book. I still love Georgie and Travis, I am intrigued by Bethany and Wes, and I am so curious about Stephen and Kristin. This is a great family dynamic that I want more of, and if that was the author's intention, she succeeded.

3.5 stars: This is one of those books that I know had my brain and my heart battling it out. On one hand, I felt like it had a lot of issues that were not addressed. On the other hand... *swoon.*

For the swoon: Dominic. Loves. Rosie. Oh man, does he love her. I'm not a huge fan of the alpha male, but this man loves his wife. I love romances about established couples/marriages and I think Bailey did a great job of showing how people who love each other can get to a point where they are no longer together. In her introduction she talks about love languages, and she leans on that heavily in the book. It was a bit simplistic, but it definitely worked, and it hit me in all the feels.

The strength in the book comes from how Bailey writes the relationship arc, how Dominic and Rosie navigate their love & their commitment. Dominic's arc is especially moving, and while a little heavy-handed on the toxic masculinity, it was food for thought. As someone who has a lot of trouble saying what they are thinking, even while my brain is screaming JUST SAY IT, I could 100% relate to what his character and his difficulties in talking. People who express their emotions easily will probably be very frustrated with Dominic, but I understood him perfectly.

Like in Fix Her Up (which you don't have to read to enjoy this one, although it might help a little for background), I loved the female friendships and support.

For the issues: once again, like in Fix Her Up, the sexism wasn't addressed. These men are NOT feminists. Also, while both main characters are supposed to be POC, the representation felt really forced. Honestly, it read like a white woman trying to get diversity points. And, while I can appreciate that people have strong sexual chemistry, Rosie and Dominic's was over the top and got a little tiring. The sex scenes themselves though were fine and in traditional Tessa Bailey style, very high heat. Be warned, the pet name is "honey girl," and it is used liberally.

I read this book in two sittings. I really liked the relationship arc & the story; it made me laugh, it brought tears to my eyes once, and at the end I gave a great big happy-relieved sigh. That being said, the book has it's issues.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.**