“About a starchy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn,” the blurb says.
Eh…
More like twice. Ish?

Look, that’s not where my issues originate here. I don’t mind a short “grumpy” arch in a grumpyXsunshine style ship, though I think this story would’ve benefitted from keeping Julian distant for longer.

This book follows Julian, an exacting Stanford professor home on some sort of sabbatical to write a novel, and Hallie, a landscaper who’s feeling unmoored since the loss of her grandmother. She’s had a crush on Julian since high school, but he doesn’t remember her. They have a spark, though, and the story follows them as they try to see if it can be cultivated into something more.

Both characters had strong and promising backstories, but the plot fell quite flat for me. With all the room for real conflict and real development, the turns the book took often felt contrived and boring.

I wanted more about Julian’s anxiety. I wanted him to actually come into serious conflict with Hallie’s way of managing her time. In real life, that would’ve happened, and it might’ve been enough to sink them as a couple. Had they made their way through that, I would've believed more in the strength of their relationship.

But instead, Julian seems to constantly sugar coat even her most destructive or unhealthy behaviors (pointless theft?). He doesn’t need to lecture her or criticize her, but his constant internal insistence that she has no flaws rang more and more false with his every repetition. It made the relationship feel grounded in an unreality that will capsize because Julian does not truly know or accept her. He has not yet been truly inconvenienced by her. Their love wasn’t tested.

And that makes this a sort of flimsy romance story.

This wasn’t helped by the lack of clear reasons for Julian to be interested in Hallie, beyond his physical attraction. Look, spice isn’t my thing, but usually Bailey’s books have an interesting love story between those parts.

Most of Julian’s reflections were just him drooling over Hallie’s body. There was very little development given to his relationship with her internal characteristics.

And his anxiety was left pretty underdeveloped. We were told some things there, near the end, but most of the story sort of sidelined it, and the reader is left with the understanding that for the most part, Julian’s symptoms go away when he’s with Hallie because he’s too distracted by his attraction for her. (I am not a fan of that take.) I was glad to see that it wasn’t magically cured, but I feel the development there was unclear and didn’t quite ring true to me, personally. (Of course, others may disagree!)

I don’t know. :/ I wanted to enjoy this one, but it fell a bit flat for me, unfortunately.

Tldr: Physical attraction doesn’t cure anxiety. Pretending your partner is flawless to avoid conflict is a recipe for burnout, poor conflict management, and eventual hurt feelings.

I read a lot of rom coms, and I hate how cynical this review sounds, but the character arcs just didn't connect for me here, and I know this writer is capable of more. <3
**Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest feedback.**

POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

When I open a Tessa Bailey book and start to read that first page, I feel so excited for everything that I know is about to come and Secretly Yours was no different! With all the small town craziness set in wine country and the added bonus of secret admirer letters, this book felt extra unique.

While I loved so many things about the book, including the instant chemistry between Hallie and Julian, my favorite part was their character development. I loved Hallie’s wild and crazy personality while equally loving Julian’s more intense and reserved self. They both helped make each other the best they could possibly be and while at first it didn’t seem like they were a good fit, they ended up complimenting each other perfectly.

Slow burn and the perfect mix of romcom while dealing with some heavier things, I loved this book and I’m already half in love with the MMC of the next book!

After reading It Happened One Summer, I thought Tessa Bailey would be a go-to author for me. This is only the second book of hers I've read so I'll have to try some others before deciding for sure.

Secretly Yours definitely had some lovely moments and after struggling to get through the early chapters (I seriously considered DNFing this book), I pushed through and am glad that I finished it.

I struggled with the chemistry between the two MC's. IMO Hallie and Julian just didn't seem to fit. He is a character with major OCD and anxiety and these things are not so easily overcome. l found it hard to believe that just falling in love with the right person could make him better. Maybe I'm wrong, but it just didn't sit right with me.

Overall, I rated it a 3 star read because it did have some sweet and spicy moments that kept me captivated.

Give it a read and hopefully you will enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this Tessa Bailey book. Hallie Welch a gardener fell for Julian Vos when she was fourteen and they almost kissed at a party in high school. Years later, Julian returns to Napa Valley to take a break and write a book at his family's vineyard, and Hallie is hired to revamp the garden outside his window. She proves to be a distraction, and Julien does not like distractions. The more time they spend together the less Julian seems to mind her distracting tendencies.
I enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to reading the second one! Tessa Bailey is one of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Secret admirer letters usually have me waving a banner that says YES, I LOVE, but while there are aspects of Tessa Bailey’s Secretly Yours that I really enjoy, the letters & the lead combo just don’t totally work for me.

Landscape artist and business owner Hallie Welch has had feelings for Julian Vos for years & his reappearance on his family vineyard makes them forefront in her mind.

Julian is bewildered by his immediate attraction to Hallie, to everything about her (especially her breasts), except for her total spontaneity. He’s a big fan of schedules & planning.

I don’t know what to say about how opposites attract functions in this book except just to say that I didn’t 💯 buy them as a couple. But with that being said, the physical chemistry between Hallie and Julian is hot and I responded very well to the body positivity 😆.

The plot is a bit muddled to me as well—the letters feel superfluous to me.

If you’re a Tessa Bailey fan &/or you’re looking for a quick-ish read with heat & some heart, you might really enjoy this one. But for me it was a somewhat superficial reading experience.

3 ⭐️.

CWs: Grief over grandmother. Reference to mental breakdown of colleague. Anxiety rep.

[ID: a white hand holds the ebook in front of a green tree that has brown pine needles sticking out of it. In the background is a red & pink twine & artificial berry sign that says “xo.”]

I couldn’t put this book down! This is another fantastic romance by Tessa Bailey. I love the opposites attract between the characters. One is super rigid and strict with his life. The other is a little bit chaotic. They pair perfectly together. This is also somewhat of a second chance romance. They weren’t together before but had a small spark of attraction as teenagers. I also really felt a connection to one of the characters struggling with anxiety. I can’t wait for the next book!
*thank you to NetGalley for an arc.

Secretly Yours was a really cute kind of second chance and a whole lot of opposites attract romance. It dealt with some heavier topics (warnings: grief, anxiety, panic disorders, traumatic environmental events) but still managed to be mostly light and fun. I loved Hallie as the FMC and found her relatable as she was trying to navigate a new normal, grief, and just entering a new season of life.

Julian was a little more bland and one-dimensional as he was hyper focused, but that was also part of the challenges he was dealing with in life, so it made sense!

There was plenty of signature Tessa Bailey dirty talk. The end felt a little rushed and also a little unfinished. Part of me also wanted there to be more about the letters—by the end, they seemed more like an afterthought.

Overall, Secretly Yours is worth a read—preferably while enjoying a glass of wine in the sunshine!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Im actually removing this from the humor romance that I had shelved this book in. It wasn't funny. I don't know whats going on with Tessa but she needs to go back to her og writing style. The plot didnt flow very well for me and the main characters I definitely didn't see them connect. I may not read the next book as we knew it was going to be Natalie's story.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Tessa Bailey does it again in this new series. She is one of my all-time favorite romance authors and did not disappoint with this new series. Let me list the tropes for ya: grumpy-sunshine; second chance romance; protective; so many more I can't honestly recall.

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey is an irresistible opposites-attract romantic comedy that will have you laughing out loud with its witty banter, swooning over its steamy dialogue, and falling in love with its well-developed characters. I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating read.

Three stars. Quick read, funny and sexy. The only things that bugged me were a few pieces of awkward dialogue and something I can't quite put my finger on. All in all, enjoyable especially if you love small town romances which I do.

Thank you, Netgalley, for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I love Tessa Bailey books, but I felt like the couple needed to spend more time together getting to know one another. It felt like a “love at first sight” kind of book.

I was hoping for more of the fun banter she is so good at in her books!

Another heart warming romance by Tessa Bailey, this time set in beautiful Napa Valley. As always, I'm obsessed with Tessa Bailey's character descriptions that bring them to life and have my heart aching as they navigate their sticky romances. Second chance love, slow burn, swoon.

If there's one thing Tessa Bailey can do, it's write a smutty book. This was no exception. I loved the love letters that were shared, the witty humor, and the undeniable chemistry that Hallie and Julian had. Not to mention... it was just steamy. Such a good addition to Tessa Bailey's collection.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Opposites attract, right? Well Hallie and Julian are definitely opposites. Hallie is a free spirit, while Julian is regimented and adheres to a very strict schedule. It's easy to like both Hallie and Julian, especially when you have 3 dogs that can't get enough of either of them. I loved how their personalities conflicted, but also how they both showed such a huge desire for love.

The one thing I didn't like was the stupid letters. There were really only a few of them and when you think a story is going to revolve around something (since it's in the title!) and it totally doesn't, it can annoy me. It's a cute story, but a little too romance trope-y for me.

I didn't realize that Avon was an imprint of Harper Collin when I requested this book. I won't do anything to hurt the author but want to stand by the union, so I'll be posting my review at a later point.

Where do I even start? This was the cutest stinking book ever. Tessa Bailey did it again.

Hallie and Julian could not be more opposites if they tried, but you know what they say about opposites right? And boy oh boy do they certainly attract in this one.

Julian has the filthiest mouth on him, oh my word. I’m not mad about it though but I certainly was not expecting it from him.

I see a lot of myself in Hallie. She’s chaotic, never has anything planned, lives life day-by-day, and loves flowers. My kinda gal.

Only reason I knocked this down a star was because, comparing to the way I felt reading It Happened One Summer, I didn’t have the same “can’t put this book down” feeling. However, that is the only fault I found, which mostly boils down to my own personal experience rather than the quality of the story itself.

4.5 stars

Let me start by saying that I really loved this book. For a Tessa Bailey book, this was more on the slow burn side of things and had a similar feel to Hook, Line, and Sinker. Of course, you still get the public sex scene (couldn't be a Tess Bailey book without one of those), but this one was very well done. I loved the chemistry between Hallie and Jillian. I loved that this was funny at times, but also had very serious moments. Hallie has had a serious crush on Jillian for over 15 years, and while he is back in town, she starts writing him secret admirer letters. I feel like this book shows Tessa Bailey's progress as an author. It shows that she can write funny and serious moments, and I found that to be one of the best things about this story.

Read this if you love:
- Crush from high school
- Letters
- Small town romance
- Anxiety representation
- Second chance romance
- Dirty talk
- Slow burn
- Open-door romance

Romance books are a very fickle genre. If your love language and quirks aren't represented, then the book can feel disconnected or awkward. Sometimes romance books represent fetishes and dynamics that turn people off, which happens occasionally for me.

Secretly Yours was of those cases. Specifically, the intense sexual dominance of Julian in regards to Hallie was not something I enjoyed. Don't get me wrong—I love dominance when done right *insert It Happened One Summer* but that wasn't the case here. The power dynamic just felt odd since Hallie had a crush on Julian since she was fourteen, so a lot of times this whole relationship felt more like infatuation than an actual healthy relationship. Hallie is emotionally at a disadvantage in this relationship because she has so much history with her crush on Julian, whereas he did not remember her at all from their near-first kiss. Plus, my feelings over this unequal power dynamic worsened when Hallie's virginity was brought up. Now I like the fact that this book shows virgins can be any age, and there is no shame in that, but the fetishization of virginity is not something I'm personally into. Julian just gave me the ick, to be honest, as he gushed for pages on her tightness/ lack of other partners. It just wasn't for me, so this book was pretty much tainted with that the rest of the length.

Now I'm VERY excited for Unfortunately Yours. The synopsis already makes me think this relationship dynamic will be much more my speed. I have a physical ARC of it staring at me through time and space over on my shelf, so I'm really REALLY hoping I can have a fun ride with the sequel. Who doesn't love enemies to lovers involving a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience?

Overall, Secretly Yours wasn’t bad, wasn’t good—just neutral for me since I did not vibe with the romantic personalities of the characters.

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this early. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

this was fun and cute, with a good dash of tension, as always for me and tessa's work, i have a fun time but something is missing, it could have hit stronger but it didn't. but thats only my experience, i feel like it is perfect if you want a cute romcom for valentine's day