I’ll be honest, you’re either going to love or hate this one. I’m a huge fan of this author but this book fell flat for me. There were parts I found to be okay and others that I really hated. From the beginning I found the story to be too slow. I struggled to get interested and I kept putting off reading this one because I didn’t care about the plot or the characters. When reading a romance novel, I want to feel something. I go into them expecting to feel some type of emotion whether it's happiness, complete sadeness, or even annoyance. Sadly, this one made me feel absolutely nothing. It also had the miscommunication trope which is my least favorite and wasn’t needed in this story. Overall, I would say skip this one but remember this is just my opinion. Something I do love about this book is how pretty the cover is but that’s about it.


Thank you so much to @ for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tessa Bailey never misses! Ever!! Her banter, wit and humor (AND SPICE - PHEW!) is seriously so special and I will read her work every single time, without question.

I absolutely adored Hallie to bits and felt myself relating to her many times throughout this book. Hallie's mom took her up and down the coast of California, chasing different interests, men and hobbies and never really giving Hallie a chance to sit down and figure out who she is and where she'd like to be. When her grandmother took custody and they began living in St. Helena full time, Hallie finally felt grounded and secure. But when her grandmother passed, she was lost again and became a hurricane of chaos, tardiness and eccentricity.

Enter Julian Vos, whom Hallie shared an almost-kiss with her freshman year of high school in St. Helena before her mother whisked her away, and has subsequently been obsessed with ever since (unbelievably relatable). In order to distract herself from her growing urge to sabotage a winery that moved next door to her late grandmother's favorite shop and to thus sate her curiosity regarding a man she hasn't seen in 15 years, Hallie is hired as the gardener to spruce up the guesthouse of Vos Vineyards where one Julian Vos is staying while on sabbatical from teaching at Stanford to write a novel.

From the very beginning these two made me laugh and I found myself rooting for them IMMEDIATELY. Despite their major differences - Julian's severe anxiety and reliance on time, structure and staying on schedule, vs. Hallie's chaotic vagueness and chronic tardiness topped with winging it 99% of the time - they somehow worked together. Really worked together. I love that throughout laying the foundation of their relationship neither of them faulted the other for their quirks, issues or trauma and instead embraced them, refusing to make the other change to fit into their lives because they found they rather liked each other the way they were. But in doing that, they managed to change themselves for themselves, and this allowed them to come together in a way that worked and was healthy and best case scenario for everyone.

Natalie, Julian's sister, had her own issues and conflicts that weren't resolved, though she was such an excellent side character, and seeing that the second book in this little world is focused on her and August, I am STOKED and have hopes she gets her closure in her own story!

I loved this little romcom! Hallie was spunky and so relatable to me, I really connected with her feeling lost after the death of her grandmother and feeling like she didn’t really know where she fit into the small town in napa after her passing. I also thought her character was so fun, I loved her chaotic energy. She made me laugh so much! I also loved how her love for the town and things that reminded her of her grandmother ! Like her quest to help the wine tasting store that was her grandmother favourite from the flashy bar next door. Than we have Julian, he is from the town also and unknown to him he and Hallie shared a sweet night in high school and she has been pining for ever sense. When his mother hires her to do landscaping around the guest house he’s staying why he attempts to right his novel. Julian is type A he follows a schedule and loves list and controls his anxiety this way. But when he meets hallie he can’t help but feel like there’s something special to him. But to hallies surprise he can’t seem to place her, as she continues to work on his guest house on his family’s vineyard they start to really connect and he finds him self straying away from his list and schedule and just embracing her chaos. I thought this one had great character development, between both characters separately and together! I also thought it did great to build up this small town in Napa with the other characters we will soon get books about! ( can not wait for Natalie’s!!) I also thought the description of the town was so nice and I seen it so vividly and wanted to live there my self especially in hallies back yard with her 3 dog babies!

Thank you so much for Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the early e-arc review copy!

If you are a huge Tessa Bailey fan, and you most likely have read her previous books, you are definitely going to enjoy this novel! And if you are new to Tessa Bailey, here is why you might like this book:

- grumpy x sunshine
- highschool "friends"
- small town vibes
- cozy and bubbly, full of with laughter

I have enjoyed this book, overall it was a cute romcom, ideal for spring time! The steamy parts were chef's kiss and I enjoyed the chaotic banter between the Mcs. However what really bugged me (the book is enjoyable if you look past this), was how much Julian objectified Hallie's appearance, seemingly making this the only important thing.

I could not get into this one. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and nothing exciting was really happening.

This book gave me whiplash. The characteristics of the hero and heroine seemed to morph based on what situation they were in. Their connection was hot but the dirty talk (a hallmark of the author) came way out of left field. The hero especially came across as a mess. Overall I enjoyed it but wish there was more cohesion.

This book was sweet, body-positive (in all the right ways), and had the usual Tessa Bailey signature 🌶️ scenes. I loved reading about a plus-size woman, without it being the entire point of the story. I enjoyed Julian, but his character felt one-dimensional to me. His anxiety is portrayed in such a dramatic way, that it didn't feel real to me. Everyone interacts with anxiety disorder in different ways, so I don't expect his anxiety to mimic mine, but the theatrics felt so off and I didn't love it being the driving point of Julian's story. That said, I found this book a wonderful, sunshiney book and I will always pick up a Tessa Bailey book.

The conflicting personalities of Hallie and Julien made for a fun read. I wanted more secret admirer letters, more little encounters. With Tessa Bailey you know what you are getting, and what you are getting is a hot read. This book had me ready for spring--wanting to get into the garden. But maybe not as ready as Hallie was.

I thought this was a fun, light read, but had some really interesting depth to the characters that kept the story going. It’s not a good fit for my library, but I will recommend it to friends and book clubs!

This was a very unique book. I loved the vineyard setting with the fancy professor and messy landscaper. By the end I wasn’t fully convinced this couple would last very long after the book. I didn’t love the secret admirer aspect, but it was a very quick read and the spice scenes were very well written. I’ll still read anything Tessa Bailey!

This is a great second chance, friends to lovers romance that kept me glued to the book. I liked the characters and the Napa setting.
Hallie Welch has had a crush on Julian Vons since high school. Now she’s a free spirited, accomplished landscaper and he’s an ultra organized professor at Stanford on a sabbatical to write a book.
Vos Winery was once the premier winery in Napa but things have htchanged. Hallie is hired to do some work around the winery, and her very presence agitates Julian and throws him off his tight schedule.

One night after a wine fueled girls night out Hallie writes an anonymous love letter to Julian and leaves it on his running route. This leads to some unexpected results even as the feelings between them grow.
Can hyper organized Julian and “fly by the seat of her pants” Hallie figure out how to make a relationship work?

I recommend this entertaining book, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first in a new series, and I really enjoyed it. The world building is done throughout the story, so it feels very natural, and definitely sets up the problems in the Vos family vineyard to explore.

Julian Vos is an academic who, due to a colleague's burnout, has gone back to the family vineyard to hide away and write his great novel. He is trying to just stay out of the way of everyone, but those plans really, really don't work out. The person who is most affecting his equilibrium is Hallie, the gardener his mother employed to brighten up the guesthouse gardens.

Hallie fell hard for Julian when in high school – and clearly, he doesn't even remember he. She has recently inherited her grandmother's gardening business, and dealing with that is enough – but Julian returning, even if only temporarily, has really confused her. The fact that he’s doing some super kind things for his grandmother's best friend is lovely, but also confusing.

As they find how much better life is when they are communicating, we get to enjoy parts of their lives stabilising, even if other parts are ever more complicated. The vineyard's issues are going to give rise to more problems for sure, and I am already keen to see what happens next.

This book served up exactly what you expect out of a Tessa Bailey novel: charm, banter, and spice.

I love that mental health was a major plot point throughout. Per usual, the side characters were fantastic and made you immediately want to know more about them.

I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series and seeing snippets of Julian and Hallie throughout.

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey has her signature wit, steam, and insight into the character's self doubt. I feel like in addition to a good read, I also feel like her characters are real and help me where I lack confidence.

In this novel, the main characters are Hallie and Julian. They met in high school. Julian forgot but Hallie never did.

Julian's family owns Vos Vineyards, but he hasn't lived there for a long time. Hallie own the gardening business she ran with her late grandmother. When Julian's mom hires Hallie to do some flowers at the vineyard, Hallie and Julian meet again. And sparks fly, but not in an entirely good way...

Julian, now a professor, has taken a leave from teaching and come home to write a book. He sticks to a VERY rigid schedule while Hallie has no schedule. If they don't drive each other crazy, they may learn from each other. Just when their chemistry heats up, a secret admirer appears. Julian doesn't know it is Hallie. If he finds out, will it ruin their chance at love?

I am so excited this book is going to be part of a series! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Secretly Yours
Tessa Bailey

Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️
Recommended: Yes!

Read if you like…
* Second Chance Romance
* Small Town
* Grumpy/Sunshine
* Secret Admirerer

congrats on another deliciously funny and steamy read, Tessa Bailey 💕✨ All I’m going to say is JULIAN VOS 🥵🫣🤤 Ready for the next book in this series, I’ve already requested it on NetGalley 😂

Ahhh. Okay first, I want to thank @netgalley and @avonbooks / @harpervoyagerus for the #gifted ebook.
I got about 20% in and immediately preordered the physical copy.
I really loved this book so much. I'm a sucker for grumpy/sunshine. | love Hallie and all her quirks, and that she is a plus sized babe.
Julian is a complicated dude. He's "grumpy" but also so incredibly tender hearted. I enjoyed seeing a MMC with mental health issues, it is severely lacking in representation and I think Tessa nailed it. I'm so happy that she made him physically imperfect, also severely lacking in representation.
Now the tiniest tidbit that I didn't like (and this is strictly a ME problem).... Brendan Taggert is like my standard for...ahem... * talk * . I think Julian was close, but not quite there. Still admirable, just not for me. And I mean that with the utmost respect.
Also, I'm choosing not to read the preview for the next book, I'd like to go in completely blind. Although I know the trope, and with the information I have from this book, I think it's going to be fantastic.

"Secretly Yours", the first book in Tessa Bailey's new "Vine Mess" series, is an adorable romp between a ray of sunshine and a storm cloud. Hallie is a little bit of chaos incarnate and she is wrecking havoc on the life of perfectly planned professor Julian Vos. After moving into the family guest house to write his novel, the last thing Julian expects is to be disturbed by his mother and her gardening plans. Except when the gardener shows up, he finds that her visits become the highlight of his day. Hallie is everything he can't stand, so why is he so obsessed with her? Meanwhile, Hallie is living out her teenage dreams getting to see the swoony Vos on the regular. When a night of over drinking leads to Hallie writing down all her feelings as a secret admirer, both parties discover what, and who they really want. Told from alternating perspectives, the book follows as Hallie and Julian get closer and closer to finding both middle ground and love.

I mean, tessa bailey is tessa bailey. they're fine books, but nothing i'm too crazy about as of late. I just feel like there's more innovative stories out there right now.

🌤️ grumpy/sunshine
👩‍❤️‍👨 high school crush
👁️ insta-love
🍷 vineyard setting

2/5⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Admittedly, I am not the biggest Tessa Bailey fan. I requested this book from NetGalley because I desperately want to fall in love with TB. I thought, what better book to set myself up for success than a romance between a grumpy professor and a cute gardener? Unfortunately, this book was, yet again, not the one to magically transform me into a TB stan.
I’ll start with the characters…
Hallie was a cute, carefree character, but I felt like some things were lacking. This novel seemed to harp on the same 3 aspects of her personality: 1. Hallie is impulsive. 2. Hallie was very close with her grandmother who passed away recently. 3. Hallie has had a crush on Julian since high school. And the same 2 aspects of her appearance: blonde curls and big boobs. It was tiring. 😴
Julian’s character though... He is possibly the most uptight MMC I’ve ever read. He times everything down to the minute, rewards himself with whiskey-only if he completes his tasks for the day, watches Jeopardy, goes to bed by 9 pm, talks like he was born in 1930, and seemed to always wear fancy clothes? Needless to say, Julian’s character was a 90 year old man in the body of a 30-something. I mentally pictured his character sitting in a recliner watching Jeopardy every night with his compression stockings on and his legs elevated in a leather recliner. To top it off, I couldn’t help but imagine him wearing super high waisted dress pants with a belt?? My imagination may have gotten away from me with that one, but I couldn’t help it. Julian radiated OLD MAN vibes.
Finally, I feel like the shit mental health representation in this book has to be addressed. (If it can even be called MH rep?!) TB, you’re telling me this man has anxiety attacks in which he basically blacks out for weeks at a time? Goodbye. 👋 These characters were both such a mess, my brain couldn’t help but play armchair psychiatrist and try and diagnose. But it’s pretty much impossible because the representation in this book and lack of research into anxiety/panic disorder is just cringey.
Lastly, the entire conflict of this novel was wrapped up in the last 3 pages?? This was followed by a quick curtain drop and the end. The story did not end leaving my confident that Hallie and Julian’s relationship would last.
At times, I felt like I got more from the side characters. Hallie’s best friend was hilarious. Lorna, the wine ship owner seemed so sweet. I would have preferred to see more of these characters rather than chapters of Julian’s internal monologue as he lusted after Hallie. 😷
Particularly, I loved the scenes involving Julian’s sister, Natalie. I loved her character so much I ✨might✨ give TB one last chance with Unfortunately Yours. TBD.