This was a fun, cute read. I enjoyed getting to know both Hallie and Julian’s quirks. I loved that they were able to completely be themselves with each other while also improving themselves with no judgment from the other.

This was a fun and spicy start to my February reads!

Hallie is so loveable and hilarious. She has the biggest heart for her community. Julian is tightly wound and he needs to find a way to connect back with his family and roots.

"Julian required order. Hallie was disorder in the flesh."

Read if you like:
🍷 Opposites attract
🍷 Grumpy x Sunshine
🍷 Getting 𝒮𝑒𝒸𝓇𝑒𝓉 𝒜𝒹𝓂𝒾𝓇𝑒𝓇 letters, or writing them 😉
🍷 Steamy scenes
🍷 Wine tastings
🍷 Loveable dogs and landscaping

In honesty, the reason that I did not give this a five star rating is because of how alcohol abuse was handled with a supporting character. I know there will be more to learn about Julian's sister in Unfortunately Yours coming out in June, but I think that her drinking was dismissed by her family and friends in this book. Just my thoughts on that.

I do recommend this book to anyone looking for a flirty read for february!

Hallie is for now, my new favorite heroine. She’s a mess. Has a crush on Julian Vos since high school. When he returns to town to write a novel, he’s shell shocked by her. Can’t get enough of her. He loses his tight control over life.
Secret admirer letters, and family drama. Excellent read.

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey is the first of the Vine Mess series.

Hallie has had a crush on Julian since high school. Fifteen years later, Julian returns to his family vineyard to attempt writing a novel. Hallie, the town landscaper, makes sure to have their paths cross. Julian is rigid with his time as a result of anxiety and panic attacks while Hallie is more of a free spirit who goes where the wind blows. And clearly, opposites attract!

I thoroughly appreciated the representation of anxiety/panic attacks in a male character. The steam factor was blush worthy!

The second book in the Vine Mess series will be available in June!

Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks @harpervoyagerus for an advanced digital copy of this book! I devoured it in a day!

I thought that this was a very fun read. Hallie and Julian's story has a little bit extra, over the top feel to it that I found amusing and charming. Cuteness, sweetness, humor, drama, emotion and heart are into a tasty combination that I truly enjoyed. Hallie was, well Hallie. I liked her well enough. As for Julian, I thought he was amazing and adored him.

Thank you Avon Publishing & Tessa Bailey for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a delectable book by Tessa Bailey. Secretly Yours was just the book I needed when I started reading it. It's a perfect palate cleanser with lovable characters. Hallie the chaotic sunshine and Julian the straight laced grump... though it wasn't your typical grumpy/sunshine it was in the same vein. Hallie is a freakin' HYSTERICAL female character that had me laughing out loud at parts. Her interactions with Julian were precious and comical. One of my favorite characters was Hallie's best friend Lavinia. She added color and comedy in just the right places.

What to expect
- slow burn
- LOTS of wine
- small town vibes
- secret admirer letters
- laugh out loud funny FMC

FINAL THOUGHTS: This was a cute, little rom com with just the perfect amount of spice. It did make me want to take a plane to Napa and drown myself in wine and pasta for a week. Hallie is just one of those characters it is really hard to fall in love with... even when she's self-sabotating. Hallie and Julian's story was sweet & is a perfect addition to your Valentine's Day reads.

*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

At fourteen, Hallie almost kissed Julian at a party. Now, Hallie runs her grandmother's gardening business with a frantic and often late flair. She's doing her normal duty of trying to take down the new UNCORKED business in town when Julian returns. On sabbatical from his ivy league university job, Julian is back home to write his book. The opposite of Hallie, he values structure and predictability in his life. As Hallie begins planting flowers at the guest house he's staying at, Julian can't help but be sucked into her life and is desperate to learn more about her. When a secret admirer leaves a note for him. Julian finds himself interested in the author, but even more interested in Hallie and her carefree way about life.

This book is definitely one that you can sense every little twist and turn. It's full of the tropes that romance novels tend to have, but with that being said I loved it! Tessa Bailey has a way of writing that makes it feel like you know the characters as well as you do your best friend. Hallie felt very real to me because a lot of her constantly late and frantic personality mirrors a lot of myself. I enjoyed seeing the effect she had on Julian and even the town around her. The setting of the story was my absolute favorite part. The town itself has so much character and each side character is fully fleshed out and has an authenticity to them. While the book has some predictability, you can't help but smile as the two main characters fall in love.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun escape from reality, hopeless romantics, and fans of other Tessa Bailey books.

This was a perfectly written romance for me in its appeal, the development of the characters, their interactions, and the overall story in general. It is absolutely delightful and enjoyable and I cannot wait for the next story...highly recommend!

In true tessa fashion, we received more grumpy x sunshine and delicious spice with her new release, Secretly Yours. Tessa is the queen of grumpy men and she did not miss with Julian. Hallie is so fun and free spirited. She was the perfect contrast to Julian. Who wouldn’t love a book set in Napa valley?!

Tessa Bailey always impresses me with her writing. I start each of her books, thinking they will be light fluff…a romantic comedy…and this is that but it is so much more. Hallie and Julian were total opposites. Sunshine girl and grumpy guy trope. Hallie who has had a crush on Julian since high school has taken over her Grandma’s landscaping business. She is a whirlwind, and feels like a “top spinning out of control”. Julian is the son of a vintner and they story takes place in St. Helena, but he is also a professor with anxiety issues and he keeps himself organized by being overly O/C about his life. When they get together, they are combustible, but neither acknowledges it and so begin the secrets. This was a fun read and i really engaged with the characters. Tessa Bailey does it again

Normally, I love Tessa’s books, but this one just wasn’t for me. I wasn’t a huge fan of the FMC and ended up DNFing. I feel funny giving it a star rating because I didn’t finish, but it’s required.

Tessa Bailey is so skilled at creating unique characters that I haven't encountered in other books, and the two leads in this spicy romance, Julian and Hallie, are no exception.

Things I Liked:
- the Napa wine country setting, with bits of small-town, small business life.

- Hallie's personal growth and her relationship with her grandmother. Even though her grandmother (Rebecca) isn't alive during the events of the book, we see how much of an impact Rebecca had on Hallie, and how her passing was such a turning point for Hallie.

- Julian was a surprise! Studious professor battling some big demons, but also jealous and protective and a bit of a caveman in regards to Hallie. And the filthy bedroom (or kitchen or vineyard) talk! He definitely fits the mold of the chivalrous manly who-made-you-cry hero.

- creative open door spice, with safe sex prioritized and lots of focus on Hallie taking charge of her sexuality, despite being a virgin

Things I Disliked:
- the alcohol use by Julian when he's dealing with mental health issues seemed flippant, especially the idea that he didn't remember almost kissing Hallie in high school because he was tipsy and having an anxiety episode.

Overall, I really liked this story and am interested to see what the author does with the next installment, assuming it's going to be focused on Natalie, Julian's sister.

I've shared on here how I don't read romance books as often these days as I used to. Maybe because I'm middle-aged or enjoy ending a book by sobbing into my wine. :) I'm still not quite sure why. But I do love the escape romance can provide and this one was a nice diversion from real-life stress.

I'll be honest. I'm hit or miss with Tessa's books. I wasn't a huge fan of Fix Her Up, I DNF'd Love Her or Lose Her, and I LOVED It Happened One Summer. But this one hooked me with the mention of #GrumpySunshine (although I'd say this one is #StarchySunshine).

I've seen a few reviews that said it wasn't Tessa's best, but I liked it. I love the unraveling of a starchy, schedule-driven man by a sweet-yet-scattered woman, and this one did that really well. And once Julian unravels? Phew, they don't call Tessa Bailey a master of steamy for nothing. I also liked the very-real issues this touched upon, including anxiety, panic attacks, and disorganization. Although they were polar opposites, Hallie and Julian really did bring out the best in each other.

My quibbles: The letter-writing portion seemed out-of-place and not really necessary to drive the plot. I also felt like this focused a bit more on Julian to the detriment of Hallie's characterization. I honestly don't know why she needed to be a virgin. It would have been cool to make Julian the inexperienced one--especially considering his rigid lifestyle and personality (pun not intended!). But, hey, I'm not a romance writer, so what do I know?

If you're looking for a fizzy, fun, sexy read, check this one out! And if you read it and liked/didn't like it, let me know why. I'd love to chat this book with you!

Another wonderful read from my favorite rom-com writer, Tessa Bailey. While I didn’t love this as much as Hook, Line, and Sinker (my absolute fav Bailey novel), I found it much better than My Killer Vacation. Hallie is a mess— literally and figuratively. But when her high school crush, Julian, returns home to write his novel, she tries to finagle her way to seeing him. Tessa Bailey gives us a dual POV and we get to see Julian’s own struggles with anxiety (and I would surmise to guess a little OCD as well). So when he “meets” Hallie, it’s a true opposites attract. A decent amount of spice and a few memorable and momentous one-liners brought this to a solid four stars.

📚Pub Day Shoutouts📚
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Thank you so much to the tagged publishers for advanced readers copies of all of these books! I couldn’t possibly read them all this week but just wanted to give them a shout out and share a little about each of them:
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The House Guest- described as a cat and mouse game. Alyssa gets divorced from her rich husband and suspects she’s being scammed. A new friend offers to help her and drama ensues ! Thank you @forgereads !
*
The Black Guy Dies First- explore the black journey in modern horror. This one I’m going to lend to my movie obsessed husband! Thank you @gallerybooks !
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Don’t Fear the Reaper- sequel to my heart is a chainsaw. Jade returns to town as convicted serial killer Dark Mill *escapes to complete his revenge killings! Thank you @gallerybooks
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Secretly Yours- a steamy small town rom com about an uptight professor and the bubble neighbor he clashes with at every turn! Thank you @avonbooks
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QOTD- Do any of these new releases sound like something you would like to read ?
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#bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booksofig #booksofinsta #bibliophile #booknerd #bookworm #bookwormsunite #bookobsessed #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #newreleasetuesday #bookaesthetic #bookish #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #readersgonnaread #readersofig #bookaholic

3.5 ⭐️
I really liked the setting and general concept of this book but I felt like it was missing something. The letter thing was somewhat thrown in there for drama and I’m not sure how I feel about that either. Julian’s “spicy” character didn’t really match how his actual character was portrayed. Hallie was consistently a hot mess and I liked her because of it.
As for Natalie, she’s a mess too and I kind of feel bad for her and want to know more about what’s going on with her.

Honestly I can't believe I had to DNF this book. I have really enjoyed Tessa Bailey but honestly... she seems to have totally sold out and turned in to just another romcom writer without her usual edge. It is sad to see that happen to another great indie writer.

I had such high hopes for this book but it unfortunately fell SUPER flat for me. The characters were both insufferable. The secret love notes made no sense to the plot. They were only there to create the drama. The dirty talk was SO bad…there were way too many side plots that just took away from the main story for me. I think Tessa Bailey peaked with It Happened One Summer. (I love you Tessa don’t hate me)

I really enjoyed It Happened One Summer and Hook, Line and Sinker. My Killer Vacation was a miss for me so I was excited to pick up this one. While I liked it, I didn't love it. The spice was good (though Julians dirty talk seemed OOC for him) but the chemistry between the two main characters was weird. The whole 'he was my high school crush I never got over even 15 years later and saved myself for him' thing was odd. I didn't really understand the point of the secret admirer letters.

I did enjoy the small town vibes, especially living so close to wine country myself, it was a fun setting. I liked Julians sister so I may be tempted to pick up the next book.

Thanks to HarperCollinsCa & NetGalley for this advanced copy.

TW: There is excessive drinking in this book, the author does not address it as alcoholism but I felt that it was borderline with the way that characters use alcohol to cope with things. Also TW for anxiety issues and death of a family member (mentioned several times).

Secretly Yours is the first in a new contemporary duology by Tessa Bailey. Hallie had a huge crush on Julian Vos back in highschool but hasn't had to deal with it since he moved away. Julian is back in town trying to write a book and staying at his family's vineyard. The feelings come roaring back for Hallie and even though Julian doesn't remember her from their highschool days he's very much into her. Hallie drunkenly writes him the first secret admirer letter in hopes to let him know things she thinks about him that she can't really get out to his face. Shenanigan's ensue, misscommunication happens, but in the end everyone gets an HEA.

Secretly Yours wasn't Tessa Bailey's best work but I still found it enjoyable for what it was. A quick, sweet, steamy read. If you don't dive too deeply into it I don't think you'll be disappointed. I liked the chemistry between Hallie and Julian, their spice was really hot and Julian has such a dirty mouth on him, good stuff. The secondary characters were fun and hillarious especially Hallie's friend Lavinia. I felt the way Julian's anxiety was at the forefront of the story was good too, I don't have huge anxiety issues (just slight ones lol) but still seeing that representation was refreshing. I'm invested enough that I will read the second one that I believe involves Julian's sister.

What I didn't really appreciate or rather what gave me some ick was the excessive use of alcohol being used as a coping mechanism. I'm not a staunchy "alcohol is bad" type of person but I can still recognize how this can be harmful. Every time we encounter Julian's sister, Natalie, she is taking sips from a flask or downing a couple of bottles of wine and rolling out of bed at 4pm hungover as hell. It's even mentioned that she did a rehab session when she was just 17 years old but no one addresses the issues she's having right now in her 30s. Natalie isn't the only one who is coping with alcohol, the setting for this book is a vineyard so alochol is being consumed in copious amounts but it just gave me worriesome feelings that no one was addressing what was going on with Natalie.

Also there were some pretty eye-rolling cliches featured in the book as well. Like Hallie being a 29 year old virgin and having only kissed two people before getting with Julian...and him going all caveman over it. Look their sex is really hot, if there's one thing that Tessa Bailey can do is write some hot smut but I hope she can keep the cliches to a minimum in the follow up installment. One last gripe was that we never really find out what happens with the competing wine store Uncorked. Hallie had such a grudge against them but after Julian takes over helping Lorna we don't really hear about Uncorked any more. I would've liked to see them run out of town or something lol.

Overall, an enjoyable afternoon read for the contemporary romance lovers. Thank you so much to Avon and HarperVoyager for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.