Garden designer Hallie is hired to work at the family winery where her high school crush, Julian, is on sabbatical writing a novel. Can an uptight college professor fall for a free spirit like Hallie?

This is a quirky rom com with some deeper mental health themes. It's whimsical, fun, and emotional with a satisfying ending.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Secretly Yours.

Tessa Bailey books are just so much fun! As always she comes up with these amazing quirky characters, that are different but yet still relatable. And her Book Boyfriends always say the dirtiest things which I looove. Julian and Hallie could not be any more different. This is definitely a case of opposites attracted and it worked so well!! Julian has a really hard time keeping a handle on all his rigid schedules way once he meets the tornado that is Hallie. He becomes a boy obsessed and I ATE. IT. UP. The setting felt small town but was also a tourist wine destination and yet it all felt cozy and cute. Tessa packs in so much lightheartedness and humor but there were also a lot of really heartfelt moments. Both characters had so much growth. If you are looking for a fun spicy read then this is a great choice!

Thanks to Avon Books and Netgalley for the free copy.

I had broken up with Tessa Bailey books because her '𝘏𝘰𝘵 & 𝘏𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥' series just didn't work for me. Then we got back together the 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 #𝟸 series. Unfortunately, I think I need to take another break because 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 was not a standout for me.

WHAT WORKED:
Napa setting
Mental Health rep
Sunshine & chaos with stoic & scheduled.

WHAT DIDN'T
Sexy time language that came out-of-nowhere
Virgin female MC
Haphazard chemistry
Unbelievable 3rd act

i wanted to love this, but i sadly could not..

i just did not feel connected to the characters at all. usually, tessa bailey does well at the third person even though its not my perferred POV. but i just could not connect with the story or the characters in this one that i found myself skimming the book at the end.

the romance also was not there for me because the build up was not as angsty for me and i could not find the chemisty with the characters either. i was looking forward to this read but sadly i did not love it..

A sweet & solid romance about opposite attract! Loved the small town vibes this gave! I wish We got more of the the letters and could have done without the little miscommunication. Loved Hallie so much she was the best. Can’t wait for more books in this series

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey was super cute and enjoyable. Julian and Hallie’s chemistry was so great! I loved their personalities and character clashes. The book’s charming wine country setting was fun added bonus. I can’t wait for Natalie’s story!

Tessa Bailey does what she does so well and it shows. Any time I go into one of her books, I know I'm in for a funny, heartfelt, steamy time and Secretly Yours did not disappoint!

Tessa Bailey wastes no time and sets up the story within the first chapter, allowing readers to dive right into this story that sucks you in from the first page. There are so many multi-faceted elements to Tessa Bailey's books, whether it be acknowledging your faults, mourning a tragic incident or something else. Yes you get the steamy romance, but you also get a heartfelt story that anyone can relate to!

I loved the duality between Hallie and Julian, and loved how their opposing personalities complimented each other. I sincerely couldn't get enough of this and cannot wait for Natalies story! My one gripe with this story was the slight miscommunication trope, but I can look past it for how quickly it was resolved.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Hallie and Julian have a history. The two shared a moment when they were fourteen that was worth everything to Hailey. They haven’t seen each other in years. Julian is back in the vineyards. Hailey is there because his family hired her to take care of their gardens. The sparks between them remain, but the sexual tension is high.

Julian is so strait laced and focused that it is hard to see him with Hallie. She is all over the place and funny. They are the perfect blend of opposites attract. The more Julian tries to resist his own temptation, they more drawn he is to her.

Hallie, on the other hand, is a bit too bubbly and kid-like for me. I think the author was aiming for the small-town girl vibe, and she came across as immature. She had been pinning for this guy for years with no real dating history. I found it hilarious, but at the same time, it was why I wanted her to get the guy.

The plot centered around the secret admired letter could have been tightened. The author really didn’t have to use it because it got lost after a while in the storyline. Then it got pushed back out there when I didn’t care. I also believe the storyline is a bit scattered. The thing that kept me interested was the chemistry between the main characters and not so much everything surrounding them.

Overall, fans of Ms. Bailey will get the same steam factor that we are accustomed to, with a hint of fun in this story. I see the potential in the book of the series, and I hope she brings the heat.

~ Samantha

Tessa Bailey's back and bringing the laugher with Secretly Yours. There's so much to love here. The sentimentality over a lost loved one, a chaotic Gardner, a straight laced college professor who turns out to be a major SBD, a little sister who crashes the party, a British best friend who's there through it all. It's sweet, hilarious, and so spicy. I can not wait to see what happens to Natalie and August, the set up here is so good!

This book has a sweet tale and was enjoyable. I liked Julian and Hallie. These two individuals are both eccentric and unique. Julian is incredibly regimented, and he must adhere to his tight daily schedule at all costs. He doesn't have many close friends or romantic partners and sticks to himself. Hallie is charming, hilarious, and disorganized.

They are polar opposites that draw each other. Neither can completely comprehend the other's potential interest in them. The couple was really endearing together, and the novel was filled with romantic, tearjerking, and sad moments. Theirs was a second-chance, slow-burning relationship with some seriously hot moments.

eeeek! I was actually shoook and super sad that this just didn’t vibe with me because it was a super anticipated read!

Secretly Yours follows Julian & Hallie and their journey toward one another, and it was a shaky & not believable journey at best. Hallie has a 5 second moment with Julian YEARS ago. YEARS. 1 kiss and she apparently fell in love and never let it go her entire life. 🙈

Hallie & Julian took on the grumpy / sunshine roles in a way. Julian was meant to hold an anxiety rep and i did love the idea of shining light on that within the book, but it wasn’t well ironed out in my opinion. His actions / personality surrounding those episodes didn’t really add up to the level of anxiety that his character was described to have.

I was honestly kind of confused what the purpose of the letters even was? besides the 10 second miscommunication trope / 3rd curtain breakup that was super unnecessary, they didn’t give any value to the plot or characters.

The last 2/3 chapters were the best part of the book, I almost felt that Lavinia & Natalie were better fluffed characters than Julian and Hallie. I did enjoy the banter between all the characters and there were a lot of laugh out loud humor, but overall i just didn’t vibe with this story.

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey is the first book in her new A Vine Mess series and was fun and charming. Hallie has had a crush on Julian Vos since her high school days, even if he never noticed her before. Hallie was quirky, loyal and at times chaos, but has a big heart. Julian is a man who lives on a schedule and routine and needs organization in his life. They could not be more opposites if they tried and yet, there is an undeniable pull between them. But in the end, they could never work, right?

Their journey was about growth, understanding and learning too just be who they are. Even when they try and stay apart, all they do is think about the other. As Julian learns to let go and be there for those he cares about, he realizes he can let a little chaos in his life. Hallie is feeling a bit lost and not sure where she belongs. But sometimes you find what you (or who you) need where you least expect it.

Happy reading!

“what’s meant to be will always find a way.’”

Hallie and Julian had an almost kiss over a decade ago. Hallie’s young heart just never got over that and she’s stayed in love with him. Julian is back in town and she can’t help but wonder if he’s still the same guy she fell in love with or it was just all in her head.

Hallie and Julian are as opposites as can be, something both of them can agree on. But the heart wants what it wants and their hearts (and other parts) seem to have other ideas!

One drunken night, Hallie wrote a secret admirer letter for Julian. He was intrigued, his secret admirer brings up some thought provoking questions. And now he’s a little torn between giving this admirer more thought or giving his attention, time and energy on Hallie, a girl that brings chaos to his naturally quiet and scheduled life.

Goodness this two went from zero to 60 when it comes to doing the nasty! 😆 Don’t let the cute cover fool you because this two got nice and dirty and I’m not just talking about planting flowers in the garden! 😊😉

Love that no matter how different they are they were still going through some similar things and I think that made their connection stronger and real.

It Happened One Summer is one of my favorite romcoms so I was really exited when I got an advanced copy of Secretly Yours. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this one. I’ve seen great reviews for it so it may just be me, but I struggled with this one from chapter one. I stuck it out because of Tessa Bailey, but I probably should have DNF it.

I didn’t find either or the main characters relatable. I need to feel a connection with at least one character, and just didn’t get that from this story. I thought Julian’s character was interesting at first, but I wish his anxiety storyline was developed more. Towards the end I felt like it was used just as a way to cause conflict in his relationship with Hallie.

I found the spicy scenes super cringey. There was something about the way Julian was talking to Hallie that gave me serious ick factors. Like calling her sweetheart and his possessiveness by calling her “mine” constantly. It was completely cringeworthy. Also, if he loved her so much, why would he let her first time be on the ground. That’s not romantic.

Hallie’s obsession with her high school crush was weird. Saving herself for someone she had one brief moment with, someone who didn’t even know who she was 15 years later, was too much. I thought the secret admirer letters would be cute, but they really were just another excuse to cause conflict in the story and didn’t help it progress.

Parts of the book I enjoyed were Hallie’s friends Lavinia and Lorna. I wish the storyline with Lorna’s shop Corked and Julian helping her business was more of a focus. I also wish there was more to do with Vos Vineyards because I really liked the wine parts of the book.

This one wasn’t for me, but like I said, I’ve seen great reviews so don’t let mine keep you from reading it.

Thank you Avon Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are mg own.

I was super excited to read this one because I was obsessed with the bellinger sisters but unfortunately this one just didnt do it for me. I just didnt really feel that spark between to two MC’s and the whole “secret admirer” letters didn’t seem to add much value. Also I dont think this qualifies as a “second chance romance” since their first chance was an “almost” kiss in hs, almost 15yrs ago. Unfortunately overall I just didnt love it. 3 stars.

Hallie and Julian's story is a slow-burn rom-com romance, their chemistry was intense, and I love their interactions, great banter, and sweet romance. This opposites attract story had me smiling throughout the book. There are some mental issues addressed in the story, things that happen in real life. I like the way the author addressed them.

I usually am a big fan of Tessa Bailey, but this book missed the mark. Hallie is a gardener who lives her life in chaotic manner since the loss of her grandmother. Julian is a professor and a part of the Vos family who own a vineyard in town. Hallie has had a crush on Julian since she was a teen and finds a way to work a gardening job on the Vos property while Julian is on leave from work writing his novel. Hallie drunkenly writes a secret admirer letter to Julian but they both develop strong feelings for each other. This is your characteristic grumpy/sunshine RomCom.
I thought the premise was fun, but the execution was poor. The whole secret admirer plot line added nothing to the story. The characters lacked chemistry and they both did not have believable backstories. Also, a big point is that Julian has severe anxiety but then he does not really seek out treatment/coping techniques aside from avoiding triggers that cause panic attacks. This book just did not do it for me.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for this ARC!

Tessa Bailey has done it again!!! I loved the setting of this book and the secret admirer aspect of the plot, TB really knocked it out of the park with this one

4.5⭐️

Tessa never fails to disappoint with her work. I of course absolutely loved this story. These two were so much fun & sweet with just the perfect amount of spice. I couldn’t put this book down and just wanted to spend more time with these characters. If you’re in the mood for a fun read, I highly recommend you pick this up!

This was a cute and easy to read romcom. Nothing extravagant , but I’m here for it and will read the second book in the series.

Definitely more mild spice level than Tessa Bailey’s other novels. This one has some pretty darn funny lines in it, I wish I highlighted them. I wish my town had a chocolate shop called “Fudge Judy”. And the “Grand Theft Gouda” scene had me laughing out loud for sure.

The main part of this book that I didn’t enjoy was the completely oblivious and annoying (and kinda dumb) male main character. I just didn’t find him likeable whatsoever and was happy to not have to hear about him once I finished the book. Blegh.

Anyways, thank you Harper Collins for providing me with an advanced e-book copy! Out Now!