I really enjoy Tessa Bailey as an author and adore some of her books, but I don’t think this particular book was for me.

I liked the beginning of this book but as it progressed I found it kinda odd at parts. It was not bad by any means but some of the plot points had me like confused and asking why.

The secret admirer letters were not my favorite, especially towards the end of the book. That ending conflict and resolution was just odd to me. It felt odd and quick.

I don’t know, I just have mixed feelings. Overall, it was an okay book but not one I’ll probably ever read again.

We have a cute enemies to lovers romcom set in wine country. Hallie is chaotic and free while Julian is rigid and schedule oriented.

This book just didn’t work for me. It felt as chaotic as Hallie was. I enjoyed the 3 letters we got and their interactions with each other but those were few and far between. If you’re going to write a book about secret admirer then do it don’t just throw a couple pieces in and be done because it left me feeling disappointed. I was also disappointed on how she grossed over Julian’s anxiety and panic attacks. What a wonderful addition to his character that could create amazing emotional moments, teaching/learning moments and yet we get nothing but a description of the attack and the fall out for him (sorta). We also don’t get resolution on the competing wine bar across the street which felt wrong after spending half the book talking about it and fixing up the local establishment. The only saving grace for this book was the pacing and humor.

The good: I love a good opposites attract, especially when the male love interest is the more regimented, uptight sort and the female character is complete sunshine in a bottle. That is definitely the case here. And for a lot of the book, I thought the banter between them was fun. It was kind of oddly paced at times though and the first spicy scene, whilst I didn’t mind it, felt a bit out of nowhere. Julian and Hallie have enough going for them in their interactions that I liked them and felt like I wanted them to get together. I enjoyed Julian’s bewilderment at his changing feelings for Hallie, how she began to throw him off his perfectly orchestrated schedule and how he wanted to do things that made her happy, even when those things were very out of character for him. I felt like this story had such promise…..but there were things that just made little sense.

I know it is sometimes common in romance for characters to be hung up on one interaction from years ago but honestly, Hallie is on another level. They almost kissed when she was fourteen and Julian stopped it because he was like 18 or something at the time. Okay, good. He should definitely do that. He didn’t realise that she was younger than him at first. But Hallie just….never basically has a meaningful relationship ever. She’s still stuck on this one time she went for a walk with someone when she was in her mid teens. My son is fourteen. Like how are you comparing everyone to one interaction that barely was, that happened when you were not even old enough to watch an MA movie on your own? It honestly gave vibes that were concerning, rather than cute. It wasn’t like it was a relationship that ended, or even several meaningful and lasting encounters. It was literally ONE walk that probably lasted a few minutes. And Hallie is still obsessed with it.

I think this might be my favorite of Tessa Bailey’s books yet! I expected it to be cute, fluffy, and smutty and it definitely was (the dirty talk was off the charts 🥵) but it was also surprisingly impactful. I loved everything about it.

As someone who struggles with panic attacks and control issues, it was really interesting to read Julian’s pov’s. His panics and the secluded silences that follow closely resemble my anxious and depressive episodes and it was beautiful to see him accepting those parts of him and learning to see them not as flaws but as symbols of his protective nature towards his loved ones.

The whole book seems to revolve around the idea that life comes at you fast and change comes whether or not you want it to. You can either let the current sweep you off your feet or you can learn to move with it. Sometimes the current isn’t so much a thing, but a person. And although you should never want to change yourself for a partner, there is an argument to be made for both parties to change and grow together. To me, nothing describes the realities of love in adulthood more than that: “A chance to grow alongside someone, to adjust together until you meet in the middle.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon US for an eARC of Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey in exchange for an honest review.

CW: sexual content, death of a loved one (not on page), panic attacks, mental health, dissociation, fire, emotional abuse, see full list on StoryGraph.

Hallie and Julian both find themselves back in the small town in Washington state where they grew up. Unbeknownst to Julian, Hallie has always had a crush on him and begins to write him secret admirer letters. Romance ensues.

*Le sigh* I was thoroughly disappointed and unimpressed with this first novel in Tessa Bailey's new series. I had a really hard time believing the chemistry between Hallie and Julian. The steamy scenes were, of course, steamy, as is expected from a Tessa bailey novel, but when the steam has no true basis in romance, it just feels out of place. I also found that the central conflicts did not hold enough water. It was kind of a rivalry between vineyards/wine tasting rooms, sort of an inner turmoil for Julian to overcome. Idk. Overall, I just thought the plot could have used more workshopping, as it felt a bit of a mess.

I'm as much of a fan of Tessa Bailey as the next romance reader, but this was not her best work.

Secretly Yours is a nice, light rom-com by Tessa Bailey. I loved the small town/wine country/vineyard setting! I also loved both of the characters. Julian is a very straight-laced rule follower with high anxiety. Hallie is a gardener with a big heart but is basically complete chaos. They know they absolutely should not be together, but can't deny their attraction for each other. There is a lot of good angst, but it goes on longer than necessary for what I typically like in a romance. The characters definitely had chemistry, but Julian's 'pillow talk' and even thoughts about Hallie seemed VERY out of character for him - so much so that it made me cringe at times. However they are both very sweet people and I loved all the things Julian did for Hallie. While the secret notes gave you a little more insight into the characters, they also added unnecessary drama and could have been left out entirely.

Overall I would recommend this book for a light summer read. If you like grumpy/sunshine, gardeners, vineyard settings, crazy but hilarious revenge scenarios, and wine country, pick this book up now!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

As always, Tessa Bailey does a great job at worldbuilding and getting her audience attached to her characters. I honestly found the male main character to be more interesting and worthy of my time and attention, I didn't know how to be sympathetic for Hailee who claims to have been obsessed with Julian (since the age of 14) for 15 years. I found Julian's struggle with anxiety and OCD tendencies refreshing to see in a male lead. The story did fall flat for me in the following areas: Julian's dirty talk, build up of tension, and the final conflict. I can excuse Hailee's (flimsy) obsession with Julian because this is a romcom, however, the genre demands tension that makes the audience root for the couple to get the happy ending--it needs to feel earned and this just did not hit the mark. It is a perfectly fine easy breezy summer read but not my cup of tea per se.

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey

Hallie Welch has been obsessed with Julian Vos since they were in high school. Now, years later, Julian is back in Napa because he took a sabbatical in order to write a novel. He’s an extremely disciplined person and has a very strict daily schedule. But Julian wasn’t expecting his mother to hire the most disorganized, chaotic and beautiful woman he’s ever seen to do some gardening right outside his window. Cam Julian’s life get a little bit messy or

This is the first book in the “A Vine Mess” series.I loved that it’s set in Napa and I liked the characters too. Hallie brings just the perfect amount of chaos and uncertainty to Julian’s uptight life.

The plot is as chaotic as Hallie’s life. There were lots of conflicts: secret admirer letters, their indecisiveness, the Vos vineyard’s struggles, the Corked vs Uncorked conflict, Hallie’s impostor syndrome and Julian’s anxiety. Some of them were underdeveloped and didn’t even add anything to the plot. The third act conflict felt forced and flat. The spice was fine but I didn’t really enjoyed the sex talk.

I usually like Tessa Bailey’s books but this one wasn’t my favorite. The next one in the series is about Julian’s sister and I really liked her character so maybe that one will work better for me.

Thank you Avon Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC of this title. I enjoyed reading this title. Would recommend for my library.

I always forget the audiobooks are only available on netgalley app which I don't find user friendly

Tessa Bailey does it again! I loved this duology and this was a great first book in it. I loved Hallie and her wild nature, unbound mess, all her dogs and really enjoyed experiencing her growth as she works to be the person she wants while traversing the pain of losing a loved one. I think the rep for anxiety was so well done too as we read from Julian's point of view. These two were the definition of opposites attract and it was funny to watch those moments of interaction where it was evident.

If you've enjoyed any Tessa Bailey, I highly recommend. A perfect blend of spice and plot.

I don’t really know for sure how I feel. It felt unfinished.

The characters didn’t have much depth to them. It almost felt irrelevant that Julian was a Stanford professor, but that was the most interesting thing about him. He also didn’t strike me as being genuinely interested in Hallie and more just physically attracted to her, and Hallie only seemed into him because he was the high school crush that got away. There wasn’t any chemistry. And the secret letters didn’t really DO anything for the plot? I just felt like there was a lot of missed opportunity in this one.

Okay -- I am definitely going to read the second one of this series, but I didn't LOVE this one. The knees in the dirt was just slightly over the border of uncomfy for me; as in, I didn't feel that it really added anything to the spicy scenes. I also felt that it was slightly longer than it needed to be. That being said, I felt like it was really fun, and I enjoyed the character development throughout the story.

I enjoyed this book. I thought the plot development was excellent and the characters were well developed and interacted well. I loved the romance and cannot wait to read another Tessa Bailey book!! I would recommend to others without hesitation.

Who doesn't like a stuffy, buttoned up history professor let loose and a polka dot bra wearing, tornado of curls virgin who needs to run wild? Opposites attract in this new release from steam queen Tessa Bailey. Not my favourite of hers as this one was all over the place but a fun and spicy quick read.

Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family’s winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to their small Napa town. When Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she’ll finally get that smooch. But the grumpy professor isn’t the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly. One wine-fueled girls’ night later, Hallie can’t shake the sense that she did something reckless—and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit.

On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She’s eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt—and so unbelievably beautiful, he can’t focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past. Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he’s sucked further into Hallie’s orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian’s grey-scale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there’s something so familiar about her... and her very presence is turning his world upside down.

I was given opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I found the main character being a virgin at an “older” age very refreshing. However, I didn’t absolutely love it like other books by Tessa Bailey, so I can only give this book 3 stars. I can’t wait to read Natalie’s story.

“Secretly Yours “ by Tessa Bailey was my first read by her.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
It was a predictable romcom book but I can see why she is recommended. Easy and fun read.

Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family's winery.
On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction.
At first I thought Julian was a stick in the mud and boring. I didnt see an attraction between them. Then as I kept reading and the love letters started then I was hooked and couldn't stop reading and was rooting for them.

This book was such a fluffy, fun read for the month of February. You have your typical "finding her place in the world" heroine and the SERIOUS, well-established-but-not-necessarily-happy-about-it hero who is just waiting for the heroine to turn him into an utter gooey cinnamon roll for her. Very standard formula for a Tessa Bailey book and I mean that as a compliment. I love the author's writing and the voices she gives to her characters because while they can be categorized by well-known tropes, I feel like all her characters are unique enough to stand apart and not just blur together as basically the same character just with a different name in a different book. Hailey was so likable as the main character and Julian is just "chef's kiss." He has dethroned Brendan from "It Happened One Summer" as my favorite Tessa Bailey grumpy hero. I think fans of romance novels will really enjoy this book, especially those that have read previous titles by this author.

This was one of the BEST romances I’ve ever read. I related so well to the characters. I laughed and swooned and loved every second!!!! The banter and spice was perfection!!!! 5/5 ⭐️