I think this is my fav of the series. I really loved the dynamic between Bethany and Wes. Their mutual barbs were spot on and always held a jovial and lighthearted tone. There were plenty of laugh out loud and tender moments too. I thought the reality show was a bit lame at first but I'll give it a pass as it helped to flush out Bethany's character development even if it was only in a minor way. As always the heat level was top notch, something I've grown to appreciate with Tessa's novels. I'd recommend this.

It's no secret I'm a big Tessa fan and I was so looking forward to this book. It had the typical heat that you expect from one of her books and I really feel like this was a great end to this series. I really enjoyed watching Bethany grow and find herself. She opened herself to her flaws, as terrifying as that was for her. I liked Wes also, he matured really quick due to having to raise his niece. I did adore Laura, I thought she was adorable. Overall, I enjoyed the book but I felt at times it moved too quickly. I would very much recommend the series to a friend!

This story definitely breezed by faster than the previous two--still just as spicy! The age gap between Wes and Bethany was a cute joke throughout, but didn't have much impact as it could have (though that may have been just Bailey's personal choice). I might have liked a little more insight into how Wes's position as a temp parent sort of equalized him to Bethany who seems to be a strong, independent woman, but is actually weighed down by her insecurities.

Bethany Castle has it all: looks, smarts, successful and driven and as the stager for her family’s house flipping business –an eye for design. She’s gone so far as to push other women and give them self-esteem boosts with a weekly get-together to celebrate success, provide support and encourage growth – she's ticking forward on all fronts. Except, it’s a lie. She’s desperately afraid of people knowing she’s not always ‘together’ or overthinks everything with confidence that is low and a lack of interest in men, mostly because she doesn’t want them to see she’s a fraud.

But then there’s Wes: a former rodeo cowboy he works for her brother, and has always been attracted to Bethany. But he’s also got issues: taking care of his niece while his half-sister gets herself together – he's determined to giveeLaura every bit of stability he never had as a child. He’s attracted to Bethany, but when she and Steven split over her starting her own flip from top to bottom – Wes leaves to help her.

What do you get with chemistry that is off the charts, a child who calls the heroine Elsa because of her coloring, two headstrong people and a woman who spends less time overthinking when Wes is around because he has confidence in her? You get a swiftly moving, fast-paced contest, for an HGTV-Like station, pitting her and her brother against one another – with all of the associated missteps and mishaps, and a bit of drama from Wes’ sister, the ‘stability’ for Laura, and Bethany finally learning to ask for help.

Each book in this series has something to love – but the best of all was Bethany’s growth and Wes’ patience, with plenty of a little girl finding a ‘forever place’ and two mommies – all in a few hundred pages. Bailey dealt with sensitive issues, bringing them to life and light with plenty of opportunity for everyone to understand, appreciate and then cheer them on.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibilty.

Review first appeared at <a href=”http://iam-indeed.com/tools-tessa-bailey/<a> I am, Indeed </a>

If you liked the first two books, you'll probably like this one. I didn't love this story. I felt that the reality show aspect was glossed over. I wish we got to see more of the house flip and show. This book hit on some difficult topics such as anxiety, perfectionism, and child guardianship.

Hands down, this was my favorite of the Hot & Hammered series. I enjoyed Wes and Bethany's stories as individuals and as a couple, which is something that I always look for in a good romance. The relationship between Wes and his niece, Laura, was incredibly adorable. I related to Bethany on so many levels, particularly her struggle with being a perfectionist and a people-pleaser. I really enjoyed getting to see her personal growth as the story developed.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Wes and Bethany was set up well in Book 2 and their great banter continued into this one. The tension between them sizzled off the page and it was so satisfying when they finally got together. There were still a few moments that had me rolling my eyes and that I found a bit *too* cheesy, and unfortunately the ending made things feel like it was going too quickly for my taste.

If you've enjoyed the rest of this series, I think you'll really like this one - look for it on September 22!

4.5/5 stars
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tessa Bailey is a hit-or-miss author for me, and I was really hoping this would be a home run! Unfortunately, the main characters were less than stellar and the romance didn't feel mature or interesting for me.

My main issue centered around the heroine and her unrealistic expectations. And I do mean UNREALISTIC. I don't know much about home improvement, but I think pretty much anyone who has watched a few HGTV shows should know that someone who stages a house has entirely different skills from someone who remodels a house. If you've never remodeled a house in your life and have only ever staged one after the remodel is complete, do you think you could take a house and flip it without any help from someone who has, say, done it before? No? Me neither. So why the heroine was such a spoiled child from Day 1 about the whole endeavor really didn't make any sense. She insisted she head a home flipping project, and when her family wouldn't let her without partnering with her brother, she decided she'd show them and do it herself, without them. Except she couldn't really do it on her own, so I'm not sure what point she was trying to prove with her shenanigans. It all felt very juvenile. Her personality also just didn't jive with me. She came off as very insecure, and it wasn't attractive. Unfortunately, she didn't really improve throughout the story, which would have been needed in order to redeem her character.

Then there was the romance. I am familiar with how Tessa Bailey writes, and normally I love the sexuality involved. However, I'm not sure if it was the cover that threw me off (being all cutesy) or just my general mood, but I found the way the hero and heroine thought about each other to be off-putting. Within the first 5% of the book, the hero refers to the heroine's "tits", which I thought a bit weird language to use, and then the heroine is talking about how to hide that she's so wet just by looking at him. Huh? The story has barely begun, let us get to know these characters better first. Their relationship had zero development before all that started. Didn't work in this story.

I love the author, will definitely try another book by her, but this one just wasn't for me.

I do enjoy a good rom-com in between my go-to thrillers and this looked like a fun romp. Bethany decides to begin flipping houses by herself instead of just working for her brother. But when it catches the eye of a reality tv producer, she worries as she has no experience in demolition and constantly second-guesses herself. Enter Wes, a hot laborer seven years her junior who has come to town to look after his young niece and volunteers to help her. Things heat up quickly even though she's on a "man-hiatus" and they drive each other crazy with chemistry and witty barbs intended to pretend they aren't interested in each other. That being said, while I enjoyed the plot, the sex scenes were SO drawn out (like 5-7 pages each) that I ended up skimming many of those as I'd just prefer to use my imagination. But if you like really steamy scenes, this is the perfect summer read!

I thought at times that it was slow, but definitely many laugh out loud moments from Laura, Wes's 5 year old niece. Received ARC from NetGalley for honest review. This is book 3 and a standalone with many of the characters from the first two books that I didn't read. I felt as if I needed to read the other two books to know these characters. Bethany the perfect put together sister who has everyone fooled finally relaxes and lives her life when bantering with Wes who gets her. Wes, the 23 year old uncle who came to assist his stepsister by taking over the care of his 5 year old niece. Wes, who is only 23 is much more mature and responsible then most 10 years his senior. His level of depth and awareness, I guess from growing up in foster care has definitely shaped and had him rely on his self. Love Wes and Laura and got to really like Bethany more in the end. Will read the first two books to learn about the others.

I think Bailey's books in this series are getting a little more complex and interesting each time. I really did enjoy this one and thought Wes and Bethany's story was very sweet.

This whole series has been a lot of fun. Wes and Bethany were well-fleshed out and likable characters, and their enemies to coworkers to lovers story was fluffy and sexy and fun. I enjoyed the exploration of both characters' family relationships as well, and especially Wes's relationship with his niece.

Review posted on Goodreads (August 13, 2020)
Review Linked.

4/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for sending me an E-ARC for an honest review!

Tessa Bailey yet again wrote a romance that I could not stop reading and really loved! I was first introduced to her books last year, and ever since then, I have loved every book of hers that I have picked up to read. This book was no exception!

I really love the way Tessa Bailey crafts her characters. Wes and Bethany were so well thought out and dimensional, and I fell head-over-heels in love with their hate-to-love romance. And Wes... Wes was such a honest and amazing male lead in this romance! I loved him from page one! Bethany as well—I felt that her character was so strong. In the end, the plot was fun, the characters were amazing and lovable, and the romance was super steamy and sexy! Tessa Bailey is an amazing romance writer and this is one of my favorite books that she has written!

Thanks for reading!
Caden

Tools of Engagement 🔨

I need allll the Tessa Bailey books and I need them NOW!
This lady does not disappoint one bit. Each book in this series was filled with so much drama and steam and if you’re looking for the perfect series to get lost in than this is it!
This enemies to lovers romance is the perfect summer read!

Being a new homeowner, my man and I are CONSTANTLY coming up with new projects to do around the house and we have been on a straight up HGTV kick lately.... enter Tools of Engagement.
This book is like watching your favorite rom com mixed with Fixer Upper and Home Town (if you’re an HGTV freak like us then you’ll know).

I also loveddd the age difference in this book! It gave such a nice dramatic twist to the books that other romances lack and Wes was just the perfect supportive mature yet young and free man Bethany needed. The only reading this one wasn’t a five star for me was because it just took soooo long to get to the steam! 🙈

Out September 22nd, this one is a must add to your TBR list!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The third book in Bailey's Hot and Hammered series was...fine. I really disliked the first book, LOVED the second, and this one fell somewhere in the middle. I was excited to read it as the setup in the previous book for a quippy enemies-to-lovers couple seemed so promising! I generally liked both of the MCs and the plot points individually, but overall I think there was just way too much going on. I didn't find that the reality TV show plot added anything to the story and just seemed tacked on. If it was paired down, I think it would have felt less muddled and allowed for more character and couple development. The book has a lot of potential, but as written a lot of things felt unfinished and the romance ended up seeming secondary and not very fleshed out. This may work for others, but just wasn't for me.

Bethany Castle is perfect... at least that’s the image she’s obsessively maintained, but she knows something’s missing. When given a chance to flip a house, rather than simply stage one for her brother, she jumps at the opportunity, while simultaneously leaving her brother without a stager. When a television network gets wind of the sibling rivalry, Bethany and Stephen’s simultaneous house flipping projects turn into a new reality show. To add another wrinkle, Bethany’s new co-star and foreman Wes Daniels gets under her skin. Wes is new in town to take care of his niece. He signed on to be Bethany’s foreman, mostly since he can’t resist arguing with her... and looking at her. Can these two enemies figure out how to work together on this project, and maybe beyond?

I’ve enjoyed this series thus far, but for some reason this didn’t land for me. There was a lot to keep me invested: I already love the cast of characters, and loved the premise, and it certainly had the passion we’ve come to expect from bailey. Bethany’s struggles hit close to home, but there was just something missing in this for me. Perhaps it was Wes’s bravado that rubbed me the wrong way or that Bethany’s personality seemed entirely reduced to her perfectionism. Regardless I know that fans of the series will still want to give this one a try, and certainly find wonderful moments.

Another great book by Tessa Bailey! I am thrilled to see Bethany get her own story and to see the person behind the façade. In Tools of Engagement, Bethany finally gets to work on her first flip, but somehow Wes Daniels ends up being her foreman. Remember him from Love Her or Lose Her? Wes comes with his own baggage but is able to get Bethany to relax. Loved the story! I can only hope for more!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an hones review.

OMG This book!! Definitely my favorite of the series and considering how much I enjoyed the first two books, that's saying a lot. Bethany and Wes (and Laura) were just so darn lovable and vulnerable! As always, the sex in the book was seriously steamy, so be warned.

I hope there will be a fourth book? Maybe Becky gets a story now?

Such a cute rom-com and a great romantic story. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

What do you get if you mix one uptight designer with one laid back cowboy and add in a house remodel? Tools of Engagement!

Read if you like~
🛠Fixer Upper vibes
👨‍👧A sweet uncle who steps in to be an adoptive father
💕Hate to love romance

This is one in a series from Tessa Bailey but could definitely be read as a stand-alone too! The book has fun peeks at some of our past favorite characters lives while getting to read Wes and Bethany’s journey to fall off a

Bethany looks like she has it all together. Her house, her clothes, her job, even her ponytail is perfect. But behind all of that perfection, she's hiding a deep well of insecurity. When she takes the plunge to step away from her family's business on a house flip of her own, much younger, totally inappropriate cowboy Wes comes along. The chemistry between these two is next level.

Their relationship is snarky, supportive, surprising, hot, and just really sweet. I love the characters in this series and you will too.