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.**

I thought this one was so cute! I really loved how Rosie and Dominic learned to communicate, and the way they broke down each other's walls over time. I've never read a Tessa Bailey novel before, and I think if I'm being honest, the sex scenes were a little too spicy for me. My only complaint was I was hoping for a few more tender scenes from Rosie and Dominic, something to contrast with how explosive their chemistry was the rest of the time.

This book was way too spicy for me, but I gotta say: Tessa Bailey is great at what she does. And also I know so many of you need to know that Bailey cites Gary Chapman's The Five Love Languages as serious inspiration. I thought that was a delightful nugget, and the way she incorporates the love languages into the book was so fun.

First off I would like to Thank NetGalley and Harper Collins Publisher for allowing me to read an advance digital copy of this amazing book! Second Thank You Tessa Bailey for writing once again a great romantic comedy love story!
This book takes you on a marriage journey between Rosie Vega and her high school sweetheart turned husband Dominic Vega. Rosie has found herself in a marriage that communication has completely broken down once her love of her life returned home from his final tour of Afghanistan. In no way has Dominic stopped loving his wife he just thought he was doing what he needed to do...provide for his wife. They may not speak to one another but once a week their sexual chemistry is off the chains and they have hot and heavy bedroom time (wink-wink.) Rosie finally has had enough of the silence and leaves her husband and moves out. Dominic will not let his marriage end without a fight and asks for one last chance to get her back. Rosie suggest they do one last ditch effort and go to marriage counseling with the pot smoking hippest one she could find.
Can the two learn to speak each others love language to save their marriage?

This book has it all ... relatable characters, romance, comedy, steamy sex scenes ... give this book a go you will not be disappointed one bit!!

As soon as I read Rosie on the page of book 1, I couldn’t wait for her story. I’m so happy it delivered.

I loved Rosie and Dominic. I love their history and their passion. The chemistry between them was overwhelming at times, yet somehow it really grounded them. It was delightful seeing Georgie and Bethany and the rest of the group and I’m beside myself at the set up for book 3.

Plot wise, it was good. Some scenes did feel a little repetitive, but it helped to show how they were taking down the walls and communicating. There were some subtle swoons and it was very sweet seeing these two reminisce and reconnect. Oh and don’t forget: chemistry off the charts.

Overall, it was so easy to root for these two and I swear I went through the entire range of emotions rigs along with them. I can’t even wait to see more of their HEA in the next one.

**Huge thanks to Avon for providing the arc free of charge**

I have to admit, I started this book feeling slumpy. I am so glad it got me out of my reading slump. Rosie and Dom were adorable. I loved them and I loved their dynamic. What annoyed me with this book and kept it from being a 4 or 5 stars was the fact that Rosie as never satisfied. That drove me nuts.

It did also make me think more about my own marriage and made me try and see things differently. I can be like Rosie, never satisfied, not paying attention to how my husband shows me he loves me. So I have to say, me getting that from this book was huge.

A delightful story about second chances, cooking and pursuing your dreams. These two were so imperfect and raw and I loved seeing the gradual thaw between them.

Rosie has been living for years in what feels like a loveless marriage to Dominic. So when she finally gets the nerve to leave him and start going after her own dreams, she realizes that there was more to her marriage than she wanted to see. That marriages often break down because of both parties and not just one.

Rosie was a little selfish in her way of thinking about the marriage. She was quick to put all the blame for their situation on Dominic. Even when she starts learning there was more to his love than what she was seeing, she wasn't ready to give him credit. Dominic is an alpha male, but when outside the bedroom, his love for Rosie is shown in quiet and unassuming ways.

These two are smoking hot together. I hadn't read Bailey before but she has the sexy romance genre on point. She wrote this wonderful couple, whose biggest draw to me, was that they weren't perfect. They were realistic and relatable, and then you got them together in the bedroom and wowzah! They remind us that marriage takes work and that we fall in love with people for a reason, and sometimes we lose sight of those reasons.

I received this one from HarperCollins and I hadn't read book 1 before this and I don't feel that I missed anything, which I absolutely love. But I am definitely adding Fix Her Up to my TBR because this is definitely a series I don't want to miss out on. Well done!

Rosie and Dominic have been together forever, but since he returned from his deployment over five years ago, their relationship has not been the same. They rarely talk to each other, and live mostly separate lives except for their scheduled weekly “sexy time.” Dominic thinks that everything is fine, but Rosie is unsatisfied. When she finally decides to call it quits, Dominic agrees to try a last ditch effort to save their marriage through counseling.

Overall, I thought this book was ok. Dominic’s hyper-masculine approach to his relationship with Rosie was too much at times (especially his so-called “dirty talk”). It often took me out of the story because of the cringe awkwardness. Additionally, I really didn’t enjoy Dominic’s secretive nature. His need to provide for Rosie was taken to the extreme and I found it difficult to believe. I wish Dominic’s character had been more developed.

I really enjoyed Fix Her Up because of the balance of humor and romance. Love Her or Lose Her is a much more serious novel. That being said, this was a fairly quick read and I didn’t hate it. I did appreciate how love languages were worked into the story. The ending was very sweet and I enjoyed their misadventures in marriage counseling as well. Tessa Bailey did a good job of showing these two characters falling back in love.

While I had hoped for a more humorous approach, I anticipate that most romance readers will probably enjoy this book.

In our roundup on RetailMeNot, 24 Last-Minute Stocking Stuffers Under $15, "Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey ($10.99 Kindle edition), [is] a sexy and sweet romp about a still-in-love couple on the brink of divorce trying to work their way back together."
https://www.retailmenot.com/blog/cheap-stocking-stuffers.html

Tessa Bailey is typically one of my auto buy authors. I tend to find her books dirty, funny, sometimes overwrought and dramatic but with this book this book felt different, more thoughtful and grounded and I have to say I like this change. Rosie and Dominic Vega are high school sweethearts who share a dream to better themselves. But they have lost the ability to communicate with each other and have become dependent on passion to cover up cracks. Until one day, Rosie realizes that passion won't be enough to feel like she is a healthy fulfilled relationship and tells Dominic how unhappy she is and that she wants to divorce. Initially Dominic tries to ignore the problems that Rosie lays out but through introspection and communication with his friends, he and Rosie enter couples therapy to work through their issues.

This is the very first romance that I've read where a couple goes through counseling to try to work through obvious issue and it was so refreshing. Instead of glaring and annoying, "why did they do that moments?!", there were actual moments of communication and growth.

Like most of Tessa Bailey's romances, the hotness factor was high, but it was also coupled with strong moments of sweetness and ultimately the book felt like the HEA was actually earned.

Tessa Bailey is definitely going on my list of new favorite authors to keep an eye out for! The Hot and Hammered series has been so much fun to read so far. I love the diversity not just in characters, but in storylines. I can honestly say I did not anticipate what was coming next for Dominic and Rosie and it was so fun to watch them remember who they were and find their way back to each other. The gang in their small town is too funny and I can't wait for more of this world with Bethany and Wes' story!

Tessa Bailey is slowly working her way into my must read author list. This new series is adorable and hot and I can't get enough of it. This story was so moving and uncommon considering the couple is married. Looking forward to the next one!

Fix Her Up was one of my favorite books of the year so I was ecstatic to find out that the series was continuing! This time we are witnessing Rosie and Dominic's story,which picks up right after Fix Her Up ends. Tessa took a risk when writing this one because she used a very unhappy situation - a failing marriage - as a starting point for a romantic comedy. It shouldn't have worked as well as it did, but man was it good! I *might* even go as far as to say that this one was better than the first, because it was so realistic and emotional. The great dramatic moments you normally find in these types of books were quieter and internal which made them much more tragic but relatable. Who can't relate to feelings of inadequacy or losing part of themselves over time? Its part of growing up. I loved the fun that the therapist brought to the story, which was unexpected and wonderful. He provided a perfect reminder to them and us, the readers, that sometimes you need to look at something from a different perspective and not take things so seriously.

This book has all the emotions. While reading I felt Rosie and Dominic's emotions come through in the writing. This is a powerful story of two people who deeply love each other but have been so involved in their own heads and lives and have forgotten how much loved they shared. They will take you on a beautiful emotional journey of love and life.

Rating 4.5 Stars

Rosie and Dominic shared their first kiss in middle school, and thus, their romance began. However, Dominic seemed to be distancing himself from Rosie since returning from active duty, and Rosie, now tired of trying, decided to move out. This appeared to be a wake up call for Dominic, who agreed to last ditch marriage counseling. The question is whether love was enough to save this union.

Second chance romances are my kryptonite, and sweetening the deal, is the fact that these two shared so much history. I found it so easy to root for them to find their way back to each other, because it was obvious that they belonged together.

I have never been married, but I like that I am seeing more and more of these romances, where married couples try to work through their issues. A fairytale romance is great and all, but there is something so much more meaningful and hopeful about two people trying to save and reignite the love they had.

Bailey may have given these two a kooky therapists, but there was a method to his madness. He was able to get Dominic to open up, while also getting the two to understand each other's love language. Dominic was a man of action and he performed deeds to show his love. The problem was he did most of them in secret. The things he was doing on the DL for Rosie were really sweet, and I was happy, when she finally discovered all the small ways he expressed his love for her, and also liked the wonderful small ways she started showing her love for him.

Rosie needed words, and Dominic started small, with a letter, which was quite lovely, and definitely made me a bit misty. He would often share bits of their long history, and it was all so sweet and just turned me into a puddle of mush. He began to better understand what grown-up Rosie needed, and it was fantastic to see him rise to the occasion.

The thing I loved the most though, was seeing Rosie regain her confidence and go after her dream. The Just Us League was always behind her, But it was good that her husband was finally aware of her heart's desire as well.

This was a very heartwarming story, and all I can say, is that I smiled and teared up a whole lot. It was fun being back with the characters I loved from the previous book, while also meeting some new ones. There were laughs and love and grand gestures, which all enhanced my enjoyment and left me full of joy.

This is such a unique love story. The level of emotion and love is just astounding. This is not your typical boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after. This is about a couple who is already married but seem to have lost their way and what a story it is. Rosie and Dominic are both such complex and lovable characters and they’re such an incredible couple. Watching them struggle and fight for their marriage gave me so many feelings. I was in their corner from the beginning and I’m so happy they never gave up. This book is stunningly emotional, real and so poignant; it really hit me in the heart and soul. Tessa Bailey has penned something truly special here! I absolute loved it!!! This is such a great series so far with fantastic characters; I can’t wait for Wes & Bethany’s book which is sure to be amazing!

I am so thankful to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me this early read!

It was great to read Rosie and Dominic’s story in this second book of what looks to be a trilogy. They were first introduced in the first book in the series Fix Her Up ad it was great to get to learn more about them. The couple has insane chemistry and it was interesting to see a romance novel focus on fixing a marriage.

I appreciate the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. While I loved the premise, the story fell flat. I neither felt invested in Rosie in Dom as individuals, nor as a couple.

Enjoyable but I needed a bit more. I needed more to really buy into these characters and where they were coming from, how they felt. It was a decent read, I just was missing the wow.