2.5 stars

This might be the summery easy romcom read for some, but it just missed the mark for me. It is a book that I knew I won’t like from the second chapter. I could just tell from all of the eye-roll worthy moments from the very beginning.

Some random thoughts that annoyed me:

~ The whole secret admirer thing added nothing to the story. It was put there for the sake of creating an unnecessary conflict by an unnecessary side plot. It was all so pointless??

~ The way Julian thought or acted was making me feel uncomfortable. Like the way he kept staring at her breasts from the first time he met her, he couldn’t take his eyes away from her breasts, then again after the second, third, and fourth meeting?? I don’t know it just made me feel so uncomfortable the way he was objectifying her like that, specially that there were no connection between them. The way he was obsessed with her breasts the first thing from the first meeting was making me get some creepy uncomfortable vibes from him.

~ The third act conflict was simply STUPID! It made me think that if this has ever happened to me and he just left and refused to talk to me, I’ll just let him be. Like fine go be a child because where’s the freakin problem??

The whole book and the main characters really annoyed me. It was all just so eye-roll worthy, unfortunately. I loved it happened one summer and I hoped this would be as good, but it’s not. At least for me.

Huge Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this copy. I wish I could’ve loved it more.

Tropes:/topics: men’s mental health, kind of grumpy sunshine, opposites attract, virgin, jealous of another guy who is in love with Hallie (not really a love triangle but she doesn’t feel the same towards the guy)

Quotes to convince you to read:
🌷“You need control and punctuality. I’m like a leaf blower to those things.”
⛈️ “Why would she admire someone who was a rainstorm compared to her sunshine.”
☀️ “She’s a rare spot of sunshine, and you’re committed to huddling in the shade.”
🔥 “But I can’t do that with you anymore, because you’re worth burning for. You’re worth turning and driving straight into the fire.”


Hallie Welch, a gardener, is an impulsive, tornado whirl wind of a girl who has a had a crush on the same guy for 15 years.

Julian Vos, a professor, is a meticulous stick to the script guy who doesn’t like anything off schedule.

Hallie & Julian almost kissed when she was a freshman & he a senior in high school. She’s been in love with him from a distance ever since. Julian moves home to take a break from school & while staying at his mothers guest house Hallie is the one who gets to revamp the florals outside his home. When Hallie is finished she mentions that it was good to see him again & leaves. Of course, Julian doesn’t remember her.

Julian calls her to help with a gopher hole situation which gives Hallie a way to tell him how they know each other. Of course she agrees to help him because why would she give up an opportunity to see him. But Hallie does have an admirer named Owen who wants a chance with her.

This book has a lot of extra details that i don’t want to spoil for any one but there is lots of wine talk & sabotaging of a new business. It has small town vibes although it’s definitely not a small town. Julian does eventually figure out how they know each other & he feels bad that he didn’t remember right away.

Hallie ends up writing Julian some secret admirer notes & I truly don’t know how he didn’t know it was her after the second one. I’m glad he decided to write her back. Hallie’s friend Lavinia is hilarious & I love their banter.

There’s the right amount of spice/smut & Julian’s fantasies about Hallie while he’s “infatuated”with her are pretty hot. The first sexual scene is *chefs kiss*. I wish we had a little more of them but the book was truly adorable. I cried, smiled & didn’t want to put it down.

Thank you to the publisher Avon, NetGalley & Tessa Bailey for letting me read this right before release day. 🖤

I am really hit or miss with Tessa Bailey and this one was just okay for me. I needed more meat to my story and more character growth. The world building was great, and the small town is on point, but I needed to know more with Hallie and Julian.

This book was a DNF for me. I stopped about 4 or so chapters in. This book is unlike any other Tessa books you'd normally read. I didn't care for the main characters and it was just a bit dorky if you ask me.

You know reading about secret admirer letters makes me wonder whether people find them cute, creepy or a mix of things? I think it ptobably depends on the scenario and perhaps the content of the letter? I'd also think it depends on the preferences of the recipient - kinda like Ted Mosby's Dobler-Dalmer theory(how you feel about the other person might make the same actions cute or creepy) on HIMYM, but when it's anonymous would one judge it based on the content or their preferences?
This came to my mind because I finished reading the ARC of Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey this weekend and it had a really interesting premise that I'd been excited for. I love Tessa Bailey's writing and I totally loved the Bellinger sisters series and many other books of hers, but I have mixed feelings about this one 😂😅

We have Hallie - the chaotic, hot mess who runs a gardening business and her high school crush - Julian, a strait-laced professor who's taken a break to work on his book. He's back at his family's estate(they have a winery) and is trying to work on his book when Hallie comes to work on their garden. Despite being complete opposites he finds himself attracted to her and at the same time he receives a secret admirer letter too(written by Hallie of course).

The writing was amazing as always and so were the characters, but what had me feeling a bit eh was the romance. Both Hallie and Julian are excellent as individual characters - relatable and likable, but I just couldn't see them together. They were just too opposite and I didn't really feel that connection - except for the insta-lust between them, I don't know what Julian liked about her. Similarly, Hallie's unrequited crush(girl's literally been cyber-stalking him for years) was explained but I couldn't see why she kept liking him for so many years?
Also, I was a bit disappointed that the secret admirer thing was just a plot point(they could have turned it into a You've Got Mail scenario and showed us how they fell for each other despite being opposites) but it really didn't add much to the story. The plot outside the romance also kept switching between many points - them trying to save a wine shop owned by her grandma's friend and then trying to help Julian's family business(which was something that he'd stayed away from after his dad has berated him for not being capable enough to run it due to his anxiety)

Another weird part was that third act conflict - like I understand why it happened but at the same time I didn't understand why it had to happen🤣 like a simple conversation would have solved it and it did later, but it felt so redundant. Anyway, I enjoyed some parts but I didn't love all of it. You might like it though if you're looking for an opposites-attract romance mixed with some unrequited love that's set in wine country! I'll still be reading Natalie's book because I'm getting such good hate-to-love vibes. Fingers crossed I like that one more!🤞

LOVED IT!

"Secretly Yours" is filled with chemistry and yearning. It's sweet and fun and HOT! I loved how both Hallie and Julian were determined to grow and work on themselves so they could be better together. Hallie's journey to believing in herself and her potential was wonderful. And Julian's progress in understand his anxiety was excellently portrayed. I adored how they recognized the best in each other.

Looking forward to reading more in this series. Got an excellent tease for Natalie and August in this one!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

This book follows characters that could not be any more different yet are somehow perfect for one another. Hallie owns a gardening business passed down by her grandmother. She's messy and scatterbrained and does not like planning. She likes things her way, which as it turns out she won't know what that is until the occasion arises. She has had a secret crush on Julian Voss for 15 years and one drunken night she decides to more or less tell him. Leaving a secret admirer letter on his running path and regretting it in her post night out daze. She has to work on his garden and pretend nothing is awry but end up falling more for him as she learns who Julian is as an adult.
Julian Voss, the son of a father who ran away at the first sign of a problem. He plans everything to the second. If things are out of place he can't cope with it. His family owned wine business needs serious attention but so does his novel that he came home to write originally. A beautiful blonde woman bounces into his life unexpectedly ruining his routine in the best ways and makes him question if the way he's living is the way he should be living.
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I can say it 100% topped any expectations I had for it. Such a fast fun and easy read. The aspect of the letters with the cute run ins with the main characters had me wanting more and not able to set it down.

Secretly yours is a cute rom-com about Hallie and Julian.
Hallie has been holding a torch of Julian since they almost kissed in high school; Julian returns to town years later, and Hallie finds her way to gardening outside his guest house, driving Julian nuts in the best way possible.

Secretly yours is a cute, spicy opposite attract rom-com. It could be silly at times which made me love it more. This felt like an early 2000s rom-com movie.
I found Hallie so fun and relatable, and I found myself falling for Julian. Tessa Bailey has a way of getting me to not only fall for her main characters but for all the side characters too. The funny and encouraging best friend Lavinia, the super flirty sister Natalie whom I can't wait to read her book. I found myself laughing and loving every interaction. This book is a hit for me.

I love Tessa Bailey's books and this one was no exception. She has a way of writing about love that feels raw, honest, and sometimes awkward. I loved the mental health storyline, especially since it was a male character struggling. Men are always taught to toughen up and "be a man", just like Julian's father had acted, so it was nice to see him learn to live with it and accept himself as he is. It was definitely a bit strange that Hallie had this unrequited crush on a boy from high school and never dated anyone for the next 15 years, just hopelessly in love with someone she had barely met. It also seemed a bit long, I felt like it could have been a bit shorter and still told the same story. Otherwise, this was another solid romance from Tessa Bailey, full of spice and dirty, dirty talk.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hallie has been a chaotic mess for most of her life. Without her recently departed grandmother by her side, she isn't sure what to do about ... well anything else. Until Julian Vos, her high school crush, returns to town. Julian is dealing with his own inner demons (anxiety and control) when Hallie bursts into his life with bunches of flowers irregularly spaced. After Hallie sends a drunken, secret admirer letter, things become more and serious between the two, leaving them to figure out whether chaos and order can cooperate and even fall in love.

I love Tessa Bailey a lot and I enjoyed a lot of this book as whole. I loved Hallie, like absolutely adored her plus sized, gardening, chaos infused person with a passion. Julian was also really interesting to delve into, particularly how his anxiety manifested and his familial interactions. The spice was lovely, and the small Napa town romance element was all fine and good.

But...

As someone with anxiety, I found Julian's insta-love and the fact that the love seemed to make his anxiety fly out the window for the time being really implausible and kind of a yuck. Yes, having a new partner can do that. It felt untrue to how I know a lot of people experience anxiety and the things that can and cannot help. I am only one person though, so this is just my single opinion. However, once they got to know each other more and the insta-love felt more natural, I enjoyed it more.

Overall, a 3.5, fun, flirty, and spicy.

R O M 💗 C O M review: “Secretly Yours” by Tessa Bailey

What a cute love story about a little miss sunshine gardener and a grumpy uptight professor! Hallie and Julian met before in their teenaged years where they almost shared a kiss. Now years later they meet again in a small town where their lifestyles and personalities could not be more opposite!

This book is cute, funny, quirky, spicy and can be totally devoured in one sitting! I loved the wine country setting and the female MC having a green thumb as someone who loves plants/flowers 🌺 🌸

Read this if you enjoy:
💞 second chance romances
💞 secret admirers
💞 opposites attract situations
💞 dual POVs
💞 small town romances
💞 sunshine vs grumpy
💞 mention of wine, dogs and gardening

BOOK RATING: 3.5/5

Thank you kindly to Tessa Bailey, Avon, Harper Collins Canada and Netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases February 7, 2023 (tomorrow) just in time for Valentines Day 💝

The third person POV made it really difficult to connect with the characters and while there were moments that reminded me of my love for HLS and IHOS, there wasn't enough to keep me interested.

Not my favorite Tessa Bailey book, sadly. I loved the setting and all the wineries, there was absolutely potential for this to be a 5 star book. I was unamused by the characters and found them to be kind of bland.
One thing I do love to see in books is letters whether they’re anonymous or not because it’s just such a simple show of affection that you don’t see as much in todays world with technology and social media. So A+ for that part.
Additionally, I can appreciate how Hallie wanted to keep her Grandmother’s legacy alive but I felt that committing little crimes to hurt Uncorked was a little childish. I had a hard time getting into this book and just expected more because I loved the Bellinger Sisters series. This series doesn’t compare in my opinion. I’m hoping for better when Surprisingly Yours is released.

*In support of the HaperCollins union, I will not be posting this review to any public sites until the workers have a fair contract*

It Happened One Summer and Hook, Line and Sinker were some of my favorite reads of the past 2 years. Secretly Yours was a fun read but I didn't feel as invested in Julian & Hallie's story. The competing wine antics felt a little half baked and the love story just was not believable to me. You can still expect lots of Tessa Bailey Sexy Times (I always lol thinking about first time readers picking up her books based on the cutesy covers and then having their minds blown by the adult content), the chemistry just didn't sizzle for me like some of her past characters. Based on what I have seen from Natalie and the ex-Seal in this book, I'm really excited for the next installment and hope I will enjoy it more. 3.5 Stars


Many thanks to Avon and Harper Voyage and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to net galley for this eARC!

Hallie had a romantic moment in high school with Julian at a party his sister through, but did not result in any actual action. 10+ years later, Hallie is working as a gardener in their hometown. Upon discovering that Julian has returned to town, Hallie reaches out to his mother to do some gardening at their house to bump into Julian again... only problem is that he does not remember her. Julian likes control, and zero chaos, but finds himself drawn to Hallie who is the definition of chaos.

I liked this book of Tessa Bailey's. Julian and Hallie were likable enough and their polar opposite qualities created a balance and compromise to both of them. Tessa never fails with her dirty talk. As the plot does center on the secret love notes, I thought there would have been more emphasis on this. It seems Hallie and Julian really did not need these love notes at all to connect.

Still liked it and would recommend!

I really enjoyed this one!!

I've seen some harsh reviews for it, but I found it to be entertaining and enjoyable!

I loved Hallie and Julian. Julian was a mess and it was nice to see a male character that had anxiety and going through things. I liked the way he progressed throughout the story and his relationship with his sister. I'd love more of that! Hallie was a mess as well, in a different way and I adored her. I loved her relationship with her grandma and my heart broke for her. I'm so glad she had her bff and her grandma's bff.

The thing I hated the most was the garden/dirt fetishes. They were weird, to me. No shame if that's your thing, but it was hard for me to buy into and imagine. The rest of the sex scenes were top notch though.

Also something to note: the secret letters really don't play a big part in this. There's like 3 letters apiece. Which was okay with me b/c I also don't really like that lol but if you're going into this one wanting a bunch of letters I think you might be disappointed.

Can't wait for book #2!

I really enjoyed this opposites attract second chance romantic comedy.

Hallie first had a crush on Julian and tried to kiss him when they are teenagers. Now, she found out he is back in the small California wine town where they grew up and she wants a second chance.

Julian is all structure and control where as Hallie is sunshine and chaos. They perfectly foil each other and their contrasting personalities made for some very funny moments.

This story was the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. Julian and Hallie had amazing banter and tension. I also enjoyed the story being set on the winery. I really enjoyed this story and characters. I can't wait for the next book to release!

This might be my first book by this author (if I have read another, it's been a while) but I will be checking out more! It was sweet, funny and lighthearted, but also dealt with some real issues!

Hallie Welch is a hurricane of a personality! Her life is a bit chaotic, she's unorganized and cannot keep to a schedule. She's well loved by everyone and is a gardener by trade. She has had a serious crush on Julian Vos, of Vos Wineries, since she was a freshman in high school and he was a senior. She hears Julian is back in town and she doesn't know whether to jump for joy or hide.

Julian has had a successful career as a professor, but when a coworker has a bit of a breakdown, he decides it's time to take a break. He returns home and lives in his mother's guesthouse to work on a book. He plans his day to the second. Since a family tragedy several years ago, followed by a panic attack, the planning makes him feel in control.

Then Hallie is working on the grounds near his guesthouse. One glimpse of her and he is smitten. As he starts to fall, his planning and scheduling falls by the wayside and his life becomes a bit chaotic as well.

This is a sweet (with a little steam) story that shows learning to love yourself, dealing with loss, and mental health issues.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #SecretlyYours by Tessa Bailey in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be honest and Tessa Bailey's books are hit or miss with me and this one falls into the "Hit" category. There were times that I didn't like the heroine's actions but in the end I was rooting for these two to end up together. I loved seeing Hallie's arc unfold as she figured out who she was since her grandmother passed away. But as much as I loved Hallie's arc, Julian's arc is what made this book a hit for me. I was a little worried that this was going to be one of those books where the sex makes all the mental health issues go away and there is a little bit of this but even more, the reader gets to see Julian learn to love himself through his "weaknesses" and we see him realize the need to seek help for his anxiety. The last chapter really pulled it all together beautifully.

I think I’m still in shock that I got this ARC. Tessa Bailey is one of my favorite authors and I love everything she writes. This one was no different.
I enjoyed Hallie’s character, she was fun and quirky but she was obviously going through something after the lose of her grandmother.
Julian was 🔥 or maybe it was just his mouth. Im not really sure. Either way he was a great character. His struggles were more evident than Hallie’s and I really appreciated the focus and importance of mental health in this book.
Hallie is a fabulous gardener living in Napa Valley trying to figure out where exactly she belongs after the death of her beloved grandmother.
Julian has some home to his family vineyard after being away for 4 years after a traumatic experience.
When Hallie and Julian come face to face her crush on him from high school on grows stronger, however he can’t remember her at all, yikes!
This is a lovely, heartwarming and spicy romance. Now I need Natalie and that sexy ex-navy seal’s book!