This was my first Tessa Bailey book and it did not disappoint! I immediately fell in love with Hallie's chaotic, wild & impulsive nature and loved just how much she and Julian were polar opposites. Despite being polar opposites though, the heat and desire between the two were undeniable! There were only a couple of steamy scenes in the book but there was plenty of spice packed in them. l also enjoyed how the story wasn't just about the romance
between Hallie and Julian but also about each of them reflecting on themselves and realizing in order for them to
be the best versions of themselves, they needed to be a little bit more like the other. I also swooned at Julian
coming in to save the local wine shop that Hallie held near and dear to her heart and his own family's winery. The
story did end a bit too abruptly for my liking, but that's just because I wanted more Hallie and Julian content and
wanted to see where the future would take them.

After "Hook, Line, and Sinker" my bar for the next Tessa Bailey was pretty high. Hannah and Fox were just...perfect.

Now, Julian Vos was everything. He was written so well and, at least for me, more relatable than Hallie. There was part of Hallie that I know I will be able to relate to a little too well soon. We were introduced to Hallie first, and while she was one half of the couple, she almost felt like a side character to Julian. (Which, okay, I'm not *that* mad about because again, I love Julian Vos.)

The book also dealt with one of my least favorite things in fiction, but especially in romance: a big problem would be solved if they would just *speak* to each other. I'm referring to the letters in the tree stump.

Overall, I enjoyed this, but it ultimately fell short of the magic I know Bailey can bring.

If you are looking for a fun, quick and steamy read, I would definitely recommend Tessa Bailey and this novel. Bailey's go to opposites attract dynamic plays to its strengths in this second chance, vineyard set romance. Bailey's writing is accessible, well paced, and filled with moments of humor and levity that all work hand in hand in creating a charming read. Bailey's characters are easy to relate to and the situations seem logical in the context of the story. I think if you love Tessa Bailey you are going to enjoy this novel, she is doing what she does best in the way that she has been perfecting over the last few years while working under the Avon label.

This novel, to me is ultimately enjoyable in the moment, but not something I am going to remember forever, which is okay, we can not remember and hold each novel close to our heart. This novel was exactly what I was expecting and it was a great way to spend some hours. There is nothing particularly wrong with this novel, and any die-hard Bailey fan is sure to love this one. I enjoy the opposites attract dynamic, it is always a favorite trope of mine. The secret love letters is an interesting idea, and I think if these played a more important and stronger hand from the beginning I think it would have help to create a stronger tension between our main characters as well as strengthen the third act conflict, which to me never really felt like it had any gravity to it. The relationship between our hero and heroine is also very insta-love and feels surface level, which make me not fully connect with their romance. I did adore the setting of the novel and I think that is where a lot of the strength and charm of reading this work came into play.

If you are a Tessa Bailey fan, I would recommend reading this, you are sure to find everything you would expect with in its pages. If Tessa Bailey is not always for you then you might want to skip this one.

While not my personal favorite Tessa Bailey book, Secretly Yours was a fun and fast-paced read. It, of course, includes one of her signature dirty talking heroes, Julian and Hallie is a relateable heroine. Both of them grew over the course of the story into their relationship and I hope they make a cameo in the following book!

I loved every page of Secretly Yours. I wasn’t surprised at how sweet the story was … but the sexy scenes were surprisingly dirty. That is not a complaint!! This romance was hot and sweet and did such a good job of representing difficult families and mental illness. Great read!

I had mixed feelings about reading this book. I have been struggling to finish books so I decided to give it a try. I was able to finish this one. I enjoyed and had fun majority of the book. And I am intrigued about the next book.

I voluntarily read an early copy.

This was such a cute read and really got me excited for Valentine’s Day… Secret love letters, lots of flowers, wine, and even jewelry.

🍇I loved that this was set in Napa, and how this book perfectly captured the small-town chicness of Napa.

🥂The rivalry of old vs new Wine Shops- Corked and Uncorked was absolutely adorable and hosted some of my favorite scenes.

🔥Being (somewhat) local to Napa, I appreciated the spotlight Tessa brought to the fires and the damage that was done both physically and emotionally to the community.

⏱Anxiety and time management are very prevalent in this book and she even addressed toxic productivity (something I definitely struggle with). Grief is another underlying theme in this one and I really feel like it was approached beautifully.

🫣Some of the concepts fell a little short for me. I had a hard time with the actual spice of this book- the dirty talk was kind of off-putting for my personal taste. I didn’t feel like the second-chance aspect was actually second-chancy, and the way the secret letters played out kind of missed the mark for me.

🫶🏻I really did have fun reading this, I just had a harder time with some of the key elements in this book. I still highly recommend reading this, especially if you need help getting into the spirit for Valentine’s Day. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for this advanced reader copy.

I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read and provide my feedback. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. The writing style and plot didn’t hold my attention. Thank you for the opportunity.

I enjoy all of Tessa Bailey's books & liked this one. It wasn't one of my favorites but still enjoyable. The steam was decent but I didn't love the chemistry between the two characters. I enjoyed them each on their own but I just didn't love them as a couple.

This book is spicy and fun! The characters have great chemistry trying to figure out how to sort through their own personal messes and find happiness! I loved it!

Ooofff Tessa look I love you and it happened one summer and hook line and sinker are some of my favorite books but this just didn’t land with me.

I think it was the characters. Hallie’s obsession and secret admirer letters were not necessary for this book. This was ✨almost✨ a second chance romance but Julian didn’t remember Hallie and then she didn’t tell him for so long. He was also just fine with all the lies. Julian has a lot going on including needing to be in counseling which I’m so for but I felt like there was an opportunity to reinforce the idea of therapy being a good thing and instead it was just barely hinted at that he should go. Also his compliments of Hallie’s body didn’t feel uplifting. I have read many romance books where the guy loves his partner’s body and explains what he likes but the way Julian did kind of gave me the ick. It felt very frat boy to me in how he described her.

I wanted to like this so much but it just didn’t land. The story was chaotic and I think the side characters were very average friends and the plots besides the romance didn’t even get wrapped up well. Sorry Tessa.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I have a love-hate relationship with Tessa Bailey books. Some of them hit hard and I fall head over heels. Others flop. "Secretly Yours" is somewhere in the middle of the two.

I love the idea of two characters pining for one another while think the other doesn't view them like that. It always sets up a lot of fun scenes and a lot of sexual tension. Hallie and Julian do exactly that. We get so much of this early on, especially from Hallie who has been pining over him since highschool. Their relationship is sweet - the true definition of opposites attract. I enjoyed everything about them together.

Apart though - I found Hallie to be just an adult child. It was annoying and frustrating at some parts of the story. Julian's involvement with her felt odd at first. I know he felt confused about it and I felt even more confused than him. Also speaking of Julian, his first scene where he pleasures himself to Hallie being a needy damsel really felt wrong to me. It made me not care for Julian and I had to put the book down for a bit before going back to it. It felt gross and him acknowledging that it was sexist of him made it worse.

Overall, Secretly Yours is a fun story. Tessa Bailey always manages to make some of the best rom-coms - no one can deny that. If you're looking for a quick read, this is definitely a good one, especially for Valentine's Day.

Another amazing book from Tessa I fell in love with the characters and can’t wait to go grab my physical copy

“You see, a small breach in fairness can cause a snowball effect.“

“She should always be smiling. Simple as that.” (I mean…get you a man who feels this way about you 🥰😍)

“Weird how the worst scenario is coming true could pull everything into perspective. “

I won this ARC in a #goodreadsgiveaway and I was so pumped to receive a copy of this one. I’ve been on the fence about whether I was a Tessa fan…I don’t mean this in a bad way, promise! Hear me out. Tessa writes such a range of romance novels that there is legit something for everyone. For me My Killer Vacation wasn’t my fav but I loved Secretly Yours. Window Shopping was ok too. I’m still working through her catalog. She’s got such a range with her writing when it comes to what you may (or may not) want in a romance novel and I admire that in a writer because not every book is for every person. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

From the outset I empathized with Hallie. An obnoxious eyesore called Uncorked opens up across from her fav wine shop, Corked…making a mockery of all that is Corked…then add the extra layer of Hallie’s love for her grandmother…who sat at the same Corked table every time she would come to her fav wine shop…I’m totally invested within the first few paragraphs.

Then there’s some unfinished business that Hallie has with Julian…unbeknownst to Julian…who doesn’t know she exists…until….he does. Hallie has been crushing on Julian for 15 years and he’s suddenly back in town.

I adored all of the characters, especially Hallie, Julian and Julian’s sister…I’m excited to see how they grow and develop over the course of the series. I’d love to see this be turned into a movie or a limited series.

Take this review with a grain of salt. I was trying to hold this series up to the expectation of “hook line and sinker” and I was a bit disappointed.

While this book was on par for the author it was not up to par with her previous work. I felt like the set up was a bit forced and there wasn’t as much chase. I will still be reading the second one because I’m curious if it gets better

Hallie Welch has been infatuated with Julian Vos for fifteen years, since they *almost* kissed in the vineyard back in high school. But they could not be more different. Hallie is the definition of chaos and spontaneity, especially since her grandmother passed away. and Julian is the definition of regimented, he works within a very specific time frame and does not deviate. But, when Hallie shows up where Julian is staying on his sabbatical from teaching to plant flowers, things seem to change, but is it a good change?

I truly loved this book. It was a perfect lighthearted rom-com that I've come to expect from Tessa Bailey! Don't let the cartoony cover fool you though, this book is still pretty steamy! The mouth on Julian Vos.... My lanta. And the fact that Hallie is a curvy girl and Julian absolutely LOVES that about her makes me swoon even more. I loved this and cant wait to add the physical version to my shelf!

Hallie and Julian’s story in Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey, book one in the Vine Mess series is a wonderful, heartwarming, opposites, friends-to-lovers story. Hallie Welch is a bubbly, full of sunshine, chaotic gardener that has had the biggest crush on Julian, who doesn't remember her. Julian Vos is the rigid professor, obsessively organized and hates the unexpected, which is why he has a very strict schedule that he never breaks. Will it be possible for these two totally opposite people to fall for each other and have a chance for it to last? Hallie and Julian have a magnetic attraction, off-the-charts chemistry, and sparks that fortunately did not set anything aflame.

The secondary relationships in the story added depth and quality to this story. Hallie has a wonderful friendship with her friend Lavinia, and other local shop owners; in addition to beginning a new friendship with Julian’s sister, Natalie. Speaking of Julian’s sister, she, Julian, and their mother have a lot of family baggage that needs to be addressed. This story wonderfully sets up Julian’s sister’s story, hopefully the next book, and it will be interesting to see how the Vos family evolves and changes.

Ms. Bailey wrote an enjoyable, amusing, emotional, and heartwarming story that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, family dynamics, clever banter, lots of laughs, and strong secondary characters giving Hallie and Julian a chance at love, happiness, and a future together. I highly recommend Secretly Yours to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Love letters, a vineyard, furry friends, beautiful gardens...and let's not forget the spice! You want to preorder this one. Trust me. It's fabulous! ⁠
⁠
I can't wait for the second book in the A Vine Mess series, UNFORTUNATELY YOURS, releasing June 6th and featuring Natalie & August.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars

Secretly Yours is an opposites attract romance about an uptight professor and his bubbly neighbor. Hallie had a crush on Julian as a teenager and never forgot about him. When Julian returns to his family’s vineyard, he clashes with Hallie as she revamps the vineyard’s garden. Then Hallie gets wine drunk and leaves Julian a secret admirer note. Hijinks ensue.

While this was not my favorite Tessa Bailey novel, it was a cute love story and a good introduction to a new series. I loved Hallie and Julian, but wanted a bit more chemistry. I am excited for the next installment in the series, Unfortunately Yours.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am extending my utter apologies to any type-A man (fictional or real) that I may have prejudged. This was surprisingly wonderful. I just love these two.

I feel incredible disapproval of illustrated/cartoony covers for a few reasons but mostly I think that they’re too often misleading. They seem to communicate to some readers that the contents inside the book are surface level or light or even young/appropriate for younger readers. So my opinion on this book cover is no different. I’m ready for that trend in romance to be over. As for the inside of the book…

Tessa Bailey’s writing has been a real miss for me in the past and I often find her vocab choices cringey but SOMETHING different happened here. I know everyone loved It Happened One Summer, but it just wasn’t for me and I implore you to try this one if you felt the same! There was so much character development and actual plot, feel-good moments of humor that felt like they could be real, and two imperfect people that everything circulated around. Without giving anything away - it was near romantic perfection.

🌶️ 3/5