BOOK REVIEW: Love Her Or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey

A wonderful “spicy romance”!

What’s my T.I.M.E. “Jalapeno Rating” of how spicy the story is? Well, if you think of Fifty Shades Of Grey as being definitely all “5 jalapenos.” Then, I’d give Love Her Or Lose Her “3 jalapenos.” Still pretty spicy!

My Mom and I were talking about this book… I mean, how does the world come to that? That my Mom and I are reading this same kind of book?! Oh my goodness…

But anyway, we both agreed… At the core of this story is a woman who's feeling undervalued and under-appreciated. And what woman can't relate to that at some point?

So, perhaps you can create a connection between you and this character. Even if you choose to not necessarily live your life by all of her choices. You can follow her adventure and live through her shoes during this one story.

And then glean from that and bring what you will into your own life. Whatever you want to. Whether nothing, a few things… or everything… No judgment here!

Because folks, in my opinion, if you solve the undervalued question in your life? More power to you!

And this book just might give you a few ideas on that front… Happy Reading!

Love Her Or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey
New Release: January 14, 2020

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All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Books & DIY Home Ideas | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com ... Including my free resources for book club support, reading and DIY home ideas inspired by each recommended book to support you in bringing your favorite book to life in your life and home…

You can see my full review and resources for Love Her Or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey at https://www.thisismyeverybody.com/books/reading-wrap-up-january-2020



✨😎✨A big thank you to Tessa Bailey, HarperCollins Publishers – Avon and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in my review are my own.

I knew I would like this one as soon as I knew this one was about Rosie. I liked her and was intrigued by her cooking and drive to own a restaurant. I never expected all the things that were going on in her marriage. Definitely an interesting and different way to tell a story of romance!
Rosie has not felt like herself in a long time. And her marriage hasn't felt like it once did either. But now, she's grown tired of it. She needs more. So she tells her husband the only thing that might help them for now is marriage boot camp. Will her "too manly to emote" husband accept, or will he let them fail?
When one thinks of romance novels, they don't normally think of a couple on the verge of getting a divorce. It definitely wasn't something I was expecting when I picked it up. This second chance romance was a bit different, but I think the way it was told worked really well. It wasn't something I had read before and I appreciated that it was different.
The characters I actually kind of connected with Rosie. My "love language" is also Words of Affirmation, so I understood what she was asking of Dom. I know from experience a lot of people misunderstand that Love Language because they think we just want compliments all the time when that's not true. However, I did not like how she was making it seem like everything was Dom's fault when a relationship is between partners. And I loved that she did this in multiple POVs, because Dom was so quiet, so trying to get to know him without being "inside his head" would have been impossible.
Now the romance itself, once it got started..... MAN! Can we say hot? Bailey made their romance spicy in the way only she can. Twice I had to pause it to fan my face. Glad I was listening to this while I worked from home, because I don't think I would have been able to listen while at the actual library! I also liked the way it felt realistic. Some things came out only because they talked it out and had to participate in "assignments." (I know its not marriage boot camp, but it reminded me of the things we had to do when we were prepping for marriage lol)
There were things I liked about this but also things I didn't. After writing this review I think I liked this one more than the first. I loved seeing Georgie grow up, but I think I liked seeing Rosie take charge and make sure she got what she wanted just a little more. Now, I can't wait to see what we get with Bethany! (Also, I'm going to be super sad when this series is over!)

What a treat to return to this series. This second chance romance checked all the boxes for me and Our couple had some serious chemistry. I look forward to the next read!

As much as I found Fix Her Up cringey, the relationship and writing were passably okay. Love Her or Lose Her is just... a really saccharine second-chance romance with a pretty terrible, borderline dom/sub sexual relationship. There were *multiple* points where I just stopped reading and said out loud how terrible I found it. With this book, any charm and potential I saw in the Hot & Hammered series is gone.

It was a solid second book in the series. Definitely didn't enjoy it as much as the first book and felt it was a little too steamy in some parts with the language. I also felt it was a little too "everything works out perfect/happily ever after" with things falling into place. that it made it super unrealistic for me. Overall it was a decently enjoyable read and I will probably read the next book in the series.

Tessa Bailey KNOWS steamy romance! Whew I need a cold shower after this hot and fun story. I cannot wait for book three!

I really wanted to like this one. I was so excited to dive into the next installment in this series. And while I did breeze right through it, I was left feeling quite disappointed. This book deals with darker themes compared to Fix Her Up. I do appreciate having a plot centered around an already established relationship, But overall I found Dominic to be insufferable and too caveman-ish for my taste. I am looking forward to the next book in the serious which I believe to be a hate to love romance which is right up my alley.

I was highly anticipating reading this book. First, because it’s a story about a marriage in trouble. And second, because this was setup really well in FIX HER UP and I was antsy to find out what would happen. I’m always really interested in seeing these type of stories and how they can get back to their HEA. It’s even more rewarding in some cases.

LOVE HER OR LOSE HER was steamy, fun and emotional all at the same time. It’s a book that can easily be read in one sitting and keeps you entertained the whole time. This is about Dominic and Rosie, high school sweethearts and still very much in love with each other. But somehow along the way things started to fall apart. Their sex life is still going strong but everything else isn’t working. Rosie finally has the courage to say she deserves better than what their everyday life has become and decides to leave him. And this story starts from there.

While there’s quite a bit of lack of communication in this story it didn’t really rub me the wrong way as it would in a lot of miscommunication plots. You really understand how different Dominic is and thinks as opposed to Rosie and how their personalities have gotten them to where they are. I admired the determination to not let their marriage fall apart and how they both had to change things to make the other feel appreciated again. There’s also plenty of humor, especially when it comes to the scenes with the marriage counselor.

Don’t let the cute covers for this series fool you. These books are extremely hot, and this one was no different. There’s an intense and raw attraction that just bursts when they are near each other.

And last, this book has a great sense of community and has left me excited for the next book in the series which will be about Wes and Bethany. I’m anxiously awaiting that installment in this series.

To preface this review, I read Bailey’s first book of this series last year and loved it. I knew what I was getting into (in regards to the raunchiness of the text) and enjoyed this one as well. However, the first 100 pages of this book are slow... I had to force myself to continue reading and I was not sure I would even make it to the end. Gradually, the book did get better and I found myself finally getting interesting in Dominic and Rosie’s love story. Overall, if you’re looking for something sexy and funny, this is the book for you. Personally, I enjoyed the first book better, but I didn’t dislike this one enough not to continue with the series. Rumor is the next title will be released this fall.

This book hit all the right buttons for me. Marriage in trouble. All the feels. And lots of laughs, too. One of my favorite reads so far of 2020.

I recently read Fix Her Up and really enjoyed it. I knew I had to read this one too. I read this mostly in one day. I really like the characters and how their relationship grows. Something I've noticed is the author Tessa Bailey has the guy give the main character a cheesy nickname that they repeat during the majority of the book. I love the group of friends in these books. I can't wait to read the next one. I've read reviews where other people don't like this one as much as Fix Her Up I like them both a lot.

With Lover Her or Lose Her, Tessa Bailey combines swoony sexiness and angst with skill and ease in this delightful second chance romance.

Rosie and Dominic found each other at a young age. They were high school sweethearts who fell in love and never looked back. They also didn’t look up to see what was right in front of them and after ten years of marriage their relationship is at a stalemate. Rosie wants more than a grunt here and there from her admittedly sexy yet stoic ex-soldier, while Dominic just wants to provide for the love of his life.

After being encouraged by her friends to pursue her dream of opening her own restaurant, Rosie also demands more from her husband and forces him into going to extreme marriage counseling where their hippy therapist helps them break down the barriers they’ve erected through the years. As they complete their assignments Rosie and Dom reconnect but there’s still one secret that might break them.

Bailey knows how to pen a delicious tale of two characters that have explosive chemistry. If you think that a story about a married couple is boring, think again. The revelation of long held vulnerabilities reveals raw wounds and the reason behind Dom and Rosie’s failing marriage. Bailey writes a poignant blend of aching weakness and undeniable sexiness and charm.

At times, Dominic feels a bit stubborn, broody and way too obsessed with his wife while Rosie is a bit obtuse about where the blame of their crumbling marriage falls, that is until their counselor points out she’s equally responsible. But after some eye-opening revelations they both fight for each other, letting go of fear and opening their hearts for a brighter and happier future together.

Bailey alternates between sizzling sexy scenes, sweet and charming ones, and others that will pull at your heartstrings giving readers a tremendously delightful romance.

Love Her or Lose Her is book #2 of the Hot & Hammered> series by author Tessa Bailey. It is a standalone contemporary romance, told from both points of view with a happy ending. Sub-Genre: second chance.

Love Her or Lose Her is the second book in the Hot & Hammered series by Tessa Bailey, and is almost one of my most anticipated reads for this January! I discovered Fix Her Up, (the first book in the series), last fall, and absolutely fell in love with the characters and the story. I couldn’t wait for this sequel to see what was going to happen next!

As I mentioned, Love Her or Lose Her is the second book in the series. (If you’d like to see my review for the first book, Fix Her Up, you can check that out here!) In the first book we get to meet ALL of the characters in the series, and while that book was about Georgie and Travis, this book is all about married couple Rosie and Dominic! I was super excited to start their story!

To sum it up, the storyline for this book is all about Rosie and Dom, high school sweethearts, who have been married for years, yet are drifting apart for various reasons. In a desperate attempt to save their marriage, they decide to attend marriage rehab as a way to find each other again.

One of the things I loved the most about this book is how relatable it was. I have been married to my amazing husband for what seems like forever, and I totally understood how BOTH of the characters in this book felt. I know a lot of people will. The tips that they received in marriage counseling were fantastic, and could be put to good use for ANY relationship, which was fantastic. I love that, and I definitely need more relatable books like this in my life, as I have not read nearly enough. This definitely made for a wonderful storyline.

I also really loved the characters in the story. I saw a lot of myself in Rosie, and a lot of similarities of my husband in Dominic. Even though they had problems, you could tell that love was there. I rooted for them all throughout the book. I also loved that we get to see almost all of the characters from the first book again in this sequel, and I’m very much looking forward to the next book to see them all again!

Overall; I adored Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey! It devoured this book in one day, and it’s been WAY too long since I have been that caught up in a book. I loved it! And now I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book, which is Bethany’s story, and I imagine I’m going to love it as well! I have also found a new favorite author in Tessa Bailey, and I am very much enjoying finding as many of her books as I can to read! If you love a good love story, do check this series out!

This book is a great read.
Dom and Rosie are middle school sweethearts. They've been through a lot. He's been over seas in the military both of her parents have passed, and they are still together. Well, they are married, they live in the same house and they have sex once a week - not sure if that is exactly together. Finally Rosie has had enough and she decides things have to change.
Dom is a man who believes that it is his job to take care of his wife. He is suppose to be the one to provide for his wife and make sure that she has everything she needs. He does all of that. But he stops talking to her.
When Rosie leaves she gets him to agree to go to a marriage counselor and he has them go through some exercises that gets them to open those lines of communication that many relationships don't realize close after so long. They come to realize that their problems weren't just because of him or her, that they both helped get their marriage off track and that to get it back it's going to take them both.
This was a very cute read and I am very glad that I read it. I received it for free for netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I definately will be recommending this book to be read by my friends and their friends.

This was a fun romantic read, but more racy than I'm comfortable recommending to my audience which tends to steer a little more clean romance.

I haven't met a Tessa Bailey book I haven't loved. But I gotta be honest, there are a couple of issues with this book I would like to address. While I appreciate that this author has ventured into multicultural and PoC protagonists, one has to be careful about not falling into tired stereotypes. I feel like depicting a Boricua man as machista and boneheaded doesn't do anyone any favors. Latino men aren't unidimensional, as white men aren't.

Few writers out there can write a sex scene like Tessa and I give her mad props for it, but the issues regarding the portrayal of these characters was a huge disappointment. I wish white writers would take the time to do a bit more homework and avoid stereotyping. It really gets old.

You don't see a lot of romances where married couples are trying to find each other again. I really liked this one. It gave me some great laughs and it's steam level is pretty good. Tessa Bailey does a wonderful job of keeping the reader engaged and interested in the story.

I am a huge fan of Tessa Bailey, now and forever. When I had the chance to read Love Her or Lose Her, it saved me from a massive reading slump. I had been busy with things from work, and couldn't find any great reason to read materials for fun. But in came Love Her or Lose Her, and it definitely saved my day.

In the second book of Tessa Bailey's Hot & Hammered series, we learn more about Rosie and Dominic. I really connected to Rosie. There was something about being in a comfortable relationship, living a schedule day in and day out. And their relationship was honest, hence why I related to it so much. Rosie and Dominic are different, than Georgie and Travis, and who I am now? I definitely appreciate Rosie and Dominic's story.

Rosie is such a silent firecracker. There was so much to her that was left unsaid. I felt everything that she was going through, and being able to relate to her so much? It's what really made me love this story. I appreciated her journey into the individual she became. And as she was learning more about herself, it made me enjoy her more as a person.

Dominic is a character, and one that is hard to forget. His struggles and are something that I also related to, but his unwillingness to open up almost lost me. It's hard though, to understand him, but it makes him unique. Nevertheless, I enjoyed getting to know who he was and following his journey.

Tessa Bailey's writing is one that I adore. I'm such a fan of how she tells her stories, weaving together two individuals in their own unique walk of life. One of my favorite parts of Rosie and Dominic's story is their reconnection and the path to rekindle their flame. And boy did they!

Loved this one. I definitely cannot wait for the next story in this series.

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

What's super weird is that I thought I added to my DNF shelf forever ago, but apparently forgot even to do that. But I DNF'd this book at the 83% mark. Which, you know, means there wasn't a whole lot of book left, but I just very clearly gave up on this book.

It's weird, because Fix Her Up was one of my favorite illustrated cover books of 2019, and yet, this book just doesn't quite compare. This book starts off quite differently since it's a second-chance romance and starts with a marriage in shambles. These high-school sweethearts are no longer communicating and Dominic utterly fails to recognize what Rosie wants.

I think the breaking point with me while reading this book is that Dominic would make such huge, expensive plans on his own without talking things through with Rosie first, when he KNOWS that her dreams have always been to open up her own restaurant. From that revelation forward, I couldn't see myself ever forgiving Dominic, and couldn't see why Rosie would WANT to.

***Thanks to the publisher for providing me an ARC for review on NetGalley***

Such a steamy second book in this series! These two have chemistry and I loved the growth of the characters. There was some discomfort over the way their relationship had already crumbled, but an enjoyable read!