This series is called A Vine Mess and I just have to say that's an apt name.

Hallie is a hurricane of a woman, indecisive to a fault, and refuses to be bound by structure. Julian is the total polar opposite of Hallie. He's an uptight, particular man who needs a rigid schedule and cannot tolerate any deviation at the slightest. Hallie's chaotic energy turns his world upside down and despite his proclivities, he's drawn to her and can't focus on anything else.

I enjoyed the small town vibes in this (even though St. Helena, Napa is actually a big tourist destination IRL??). We're initially focused in on small businesses, Hallie's friendships with other business owners, and intimate day to day recounts.

I liked the opposites attract situation we had going on between Hallie and Julian. I usually can't stand messy heroines, but Hallie's reasons for being the way she is pulled on my heartstrings. Getting to see Julian find his place back in St. Helena while bending over backwards to get Hallie to smile was lovely. We get glimpses of his caring heart and some teddy bear moments that made my ovaries burst.

Now for the bad:
Tessa Bailey's bread and butter is her smut. Her ability to write delectable dirty talk and morph her prim and proper mmc into possessive, filthy cavemen remains unparalleled. Unfortunately, the transitions into the smutty scenes were not smooth at all and they came out of nowhere. The two characters would just be having a casual conversation and then Julian would whip out some very forward lines and I was shook. I understand duality is a thing, but this was plain old disjointed.

This is my personal preference but I'm not a fan of the fmc harboring unrequited love. Call me crazy, I prefer books where the mmc is a pining mess holding a flame for the fmc. In this book, Hallie has a 15 (FIFTEEN!!!) year long crush on Julian, who we later find out doesn't even remember who Hallie is present day. Ummmmm, yikes. (Though my concerns are slightly assuaged when the mmc swiftly falls into infatuation with the fmc after their first encounter.)

There's a handful of the subplots established to be used as footholds for the mmc and quickly abandoned. The wineshop rivalry? Only there so that Julian can secretly help save CORKED in order to make Hallie happy. We don't find out what happens to the new competing wineshop later on. The second love interest? Only there so the reader can get some angsty Julian jealousy. The secret admirer love letters? Arguably the most enticing part of this story, but it's not the main focus at all and is there just for the third act conflict.

Overall, I'm still gobsmacked; while there's some good in this book, there's a lot that took me out of the story and left me reeling. I know for a fact many readers will eat this up, but this unfortunately wasn't for me. I am, however, intrigued by Natalie's character and will most likely pick up her story. What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment.

Read this for:
second chance romance
grumpy sunshine
opposites attract
what are feelings/what is this thing beating in my chest hero
virgin heroine
small town? vibes

Secretly Yours seriously hit the rom-com spot for me.... Tessa Bailey has yet again created flawed, quirky, and seriously lovable characters (who know how to talk dirty of course...) I knew I was going to be a sucker for any plotline that revolved around wine, but I also seriously loved the passion the main characters had for keeping small businesses alive. As someone who wouldn't know what to do without their favorite local wine store, it was a believable and sweet subplot.

I tend to cringe at the "secret admirer" vibe but somehow main character Hallie pulls it off without being too cringe (only a little haha.) And as someone who thrives off routine, Julian definitely spoke to me.

I'm so thankful to have gotten this as an ARC from NetGalley and look forward to reading the next book in the series!

More than spicy with vocabulary to match, Secretly Yours is a delectable story of wine, a woman, and anxiety. The wine-Vos Vineyards. The Woman-Halli. The anxiety-the plague of Julian Vos. Halli is impetuous and free. Julian is uptight and controlled. Somehow these polar opposites rock each other’s world. So much keeps them from a completely bonafide relationship that time holds in its hands.
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book, All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had high expectations for this series. Firstly, I feel like the writing style in this book was very hard to get used to. I normally love Tessa Bailey's writing but there's just something about how the story was written in here. Maybe it's the tense that it was written in? It's not something I usually have trouble with but maybe there was also too much internal monologue(?)...

I think this book was too much of a slow burn for me and it made things really boring. For the most part, the story was flat and there wasn't any character development. It seems like the plot was all over the place and I honestly thought the letters would play a bigger part. The characters were bland and I was also very confused about Julian's character after he accepts his feelings for Hallie because it was a very abrupt change with no progression. I also did not feel the chemistry between Julian and Hallie at all.

The biggest thing that annoyed me-which also changed my rating from 3 stars to 2 stars-is the (deliberate) miscommunication. I don't think there's anything else I hate more than the miscommunication trope and this book was full of that. The conflict at the end was so silly and random and their relationship could have progressed much faster (and made things more interesting) if they just...talked. I also didn't understand the point of the letters because they were written way after and it just felt very pointless. The characters themselves felt very immature and even the spice had me cringing this time. At this point, I think Tessa Bailey books are a hit or a miss for me, and this book was unfortunately a miss.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book!

Let me start by saying that I love Tessa Baliey's work and when I saw that she was releasing a new book following the end of the Bellinger Sisters books, I was so excited!

I loved the small town feel and the side characters were the exact needed amount of spice and sweet, without overshadowing our main characters. I will say that this one wasn't my favorite Tessa Bailey book. Both Hallie and Julian were immature at times and I wasn't a fan of Julian's dirty talk. Because he is presented as such a reserved and strait laced character, the wild dirty talk felt so far out of character for him that it took me out of the story.

That being said, I did still enjoy other parts of this story and am looking forward to reading Natalie's (Julian's sister) story next!

3.75 stars (rounded up)!

I can't help but love Tessa Bailey's books, even if they make me occasionally cringe. "Secretly Yours" is the start of a new series from her, and if this book is any indication, it's going to be another good one...not quite as good as the Bellinger sisters series, but good, nonetheless.

Small towns, old crushes, wine, gardening, and opposites attract grumpy/sunshine collide in Bailey's latest rom-com. Hailee and Julian are thrown back into each other's lives, and though he barely remembers her, she had been smitten with him in high school. Her bright chaos and his strict, rigid lifestyle meet together into a storm of want and need and lust. Then, a secret admirer enters the equation.

This is a cute story, but it's not my favorite Tessa Bailey book. I liked Hailee and Julian as characters. I love all the things Julian did for Hailee, even if they made him go against his better instincts. Julian is a caring grump who is worked out of his routine by the tornado that is Hailee. And Hailee! She has a heart of gold. I loved reading about how she had a crush on Julian when they were younger, not in a creepy way. As always, Tessa Bailey manages to write some excellent, steamy dirty talk. Love that for her, and for us as readers! I like the anxiety representation as it felt realistic and fleshed out in these characters. I really enjoyed all of the side characters, and I'm hoping certain ones get books of their own (?!). Where this book was a little "ehh" for me was in the immaturity of its leads. I can see others having an issue with how all over the place this book feels, but I thought it matches Hailee's personality really well (even if this was unintentional). The letter-writing part feels like the least fully-formed plot point. It sort of felt like the letters were more of an afterthought than anything? The fact that Julian had to even secondguess that they were written by Hailee is a bit absurd, considering he's so intelligent. Still, I had fun with this book. It made me laugh and swoon from time to time. Can't wait to read Tessa's next book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Bailey, and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

First off I wanna say thank you to Harper Collins for giving me the chance to read this ARC before release day.


*Possible Spoilers Ahead*


I love Tessa Bailey so when I saw she was releasing a book after the Bellinger Sisters I was excited. Secretly Yours is about a chaotic gardener Hallie and straight as an arrow history professor Julien. 15 years prior, Julien and Hallie share an (almost) kiss and ever since then Hallie has been in love with him. Fast forward to now, prodigal Julien is back from Stanford on a sabbatical trying to write his novel when his mother hired a gardener to do up the guesthouse. In walks Hallie and when she realizes that Julien doesn’t recognize her from the night she still thinks about she’s disappointed and tries to forget about it but Julien, although into lists and schedules, basically throws everything to the wind. I’m not going to go more in-depth because it’ll be major spoiler but this book really resonated with me.

Hallie is 29 years old and just lost her grandmother, someone who was a constant in her life and helped her stay grounded while her mother was pulling her in and out of school and around the world. So when she lost Rebecca suddenly, she was spinning out. This part hit close to home because early last year, I lost my grandma unexpectedly as well and I loved her with every fiber of my being. She was my best friend for a long time so I’ve been feeling lost, in a way, while I navigate life without her; just like Hallie tries to do.

I did have some qualms though: there wasn’t an epilogue, I love epilogues because even though it’s a glimpse at the future, there’s a sense of finality to a story. Another thing I wasn’t too crazy about was the lack of follow through the the whole Corked situation. In the beginning it seemed like a big deal and yeah some things were done about it but it kind of just fell to the wayside for everything else. There was a lot of repetitiveness in both Hallie and Juliens inner monologue which probably could have been cut out and some of the way Julian spoke to her during sex was ..odd?

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the sequel about a certain sister and Ex-Navy Seal

4/5 ☆

I loved this book so much is was a fun and fast read for me. I would definitely recommend it to others! Thank you NetGalley for this copy!

High School Crush turns Secret Admirer turns 2005 Tom Cruise on Oprah in this spicy romp through Napa Valley.

Not sure if this tagline makes sense, but it’s fitting for the book in my humble opinion, so we’re running with it. This was very cute! I loved how our heroine was a little curvier than most, and I loved how our main love interest, aka Julian, was, ahem, very appreciative of said curves, as well. It had the Sunshine meets Grumpy trope, which you can never go wrong with. Then, Grumpy turns into Sunshine only for Sunshine, which makes it even better.

The quaint little town of St. Helena was a real treat too. I just wish we’d gotten to see more of its history! And Julian’s sister, Natalie, was comedic gold. I loved both her and Hallie’s dynamic. She was probably the highlight of the book for me. Also, just loved the Vos Family dynamic, as well. Mama Vos really began to grow on me…Lol.

My only qualm was it took a little bit for me to get into it. I feel like the plot dragged for about the first half of the book. And I was not a fan of Lavinia, unfortunately. She actually annoyed me a little. Buttttt that ending was so sweet! All in all, this would be the perfect spring/summer read for rom-com lovers! Low stakes, spice, and a HEA guarantee. You can’t go wrong with that!

Big thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me an ARC copy of this book!

For Fans of It Happened One Summer and Hook, Line and Sinker ... this one hits all the same marks!

We have small town charm and an "outsider" trying to fit in. Past trauma and family drama play a part. Hallie and Julian are so different they don't even realize how complement each other in all the right ways.

There was a small part of the storyline that bugged me (the drama around the letters) because I thought it was a little over-emphasized but other than that this was 100% enjoyable. It's pretty steamy in places so don't say I didn't warn ya! :)

I truly love Tessa and her way of writing. While overall, I liked the book, the story felt a little bit scattered for me. I would have loved for the letter bit to either have been more played out with banter IN the letters, or to have not happened at all. Something felt off about it. I really love how Hallie softened up Julian, Julian and Hallie shouldn't have worked on paper, but seeing them fall into each other despite her wild child ways and his straight-laced ways was so sweet. Tessa can write a SPICY scene and ya....I mean she freakking rocks. Five stars on the spice.

Now, TELL ME MORE about Mr. Navy Seal and Natalie.... I am sooooooo EXCITED for this one.

Set in wine country with a grumpy/sunshine trope, will Hailee and Julian find love after all these years? This trope will always be one of my favorites to read. That said, this isn't my favorite version. There was just something about the communication and immaturity of both characters that makes this just an average book. Did I still read it all. Yes. Do I need to reread it? No. Enjoyable, but not far from Bailey's best work.

✨ unrequited love
✨ secret admirer
✨ opposites attract

Hallie has been in love with Julian since she was 14 years. But Julian left after high school and now finally he’s back. And Hallie wonders if real life Julian is just as great as he was back then. One drunken night Hallie leaves Julian a secret admirer letter. But Julian is only back to write a novel. And what does a no non sense professor and a bubbly gardener have in common?

I freaking loved this book. Hallie is such a light and happy character, the shenanigans she gets herself into are hilarious. And Julian is a rigid time oriented person who love his life to the minute in order to control his anxiety. I loved his character and how Hallie made his deviate from his perfectly planned life. She gives him a sense of being free from his anxiety just to spend time with her. And as Hallie is struggling with herself and what the future means for her now.

I love the two of them together. They complement each other even being completely different. I love each character and even glimpse of Julian’s sister Natalie in the next book. This book is fun, funny, and ya know it’s Tessa Bailey so it’s spicy! The dirty talking professor and his virgin gardener.

4.25/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️

"The last time they'd almost kissed was right here in this very vineyard- a moment that had ruined her forever."

Okay okay. I am stunned because I am in love with anything Tessa Bailey but this wasn't nearly as swoon worthy as her other books. Not saying I didn't love it because it did have me hooked either way. The setting in Napa (I mean ya girl loves her wine so...), the dogs, Hallie and Julian. I loved a lot of things but I wasn't nearly as engrossed as I typically am when it comes to a TB book.

So here's a quick summary and then I'll get down to the kind of spoiler-ish tidbits:
Hallie Welch (last name the same as the famous grape juice brand, did not pass over my head one bit) has been in love with Julian Vos since she was 14 years old, ever since she missed her chance at an almost kiss. I mean in her defense, it would've been truly romantic given the setting was in his family's famous vineyard (and lets all just agree that first kisses generally are not). After being whisked away shortly after, Hallie never truly got to see where that lip locking would've taken them. Now 15 years of (mind I say) "gentle / harmless" internet stalking, her crush has returned to Napa to write a book.

Julian Vos is a very detailed oriented professor and runs on a strict (very strict) schedule. Every minute is accounted for and distractions usually leave him flustered, attempting to rework his schedule to find some degree of stable ground. Hallie Welch, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. She is typically late, has no plans to plan her future plans, has three dogs she takes everywhere and hides behind her gardening tools when creating any conversation. So when Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she's wondering if she'll finally get that kiss. Except Julian doesn't quite remember why Hallie seems so familiar (que Hallie being offended).

Needless to say, she soon discovers they have complete opposite personalities... while becoming a distraction to Julian's strict schedule with her chaotic decision making. "The man from her dreams who connected with her on a molecular level and could read her mind? He didn't exist in reality. She'd built him up into a fantasy that would never play out." Feeling this difference, instead of voicing her feelings out loud, Hallie decides (drunkenly) that she should write secret admirer letters instead.

My thoughts:
First off, I just want to say one of my favorite parts of this book was Hallie's bestfriend, Lavinia. LOVED her. On paper, she was probably a better match for Hallie, but its okay because we still like straightlaced Julian. Why do we like him?? Oh because he was the perfect amount of thoughtful and protective. I mean EXHIBT A:

"'You're finished yelling at her now.' Hallie couldn't see his face, but based on the clipped delivery of his words, she imagined his features were tense. 'Don't ever do that again.'"

HELLO, swoooon. Also, I just love the easy writing style of TB. Although not as funny as some of her other books, this one did have the classic TB humor I oh so adore.

"'She's a menace!'
Hallie gasped.
'You're probably right.' Julian drawled.
She gasped a second time.
'But if you say another word about her, I'll break a lot more than your disco ball.'"

I loved the intimate setting a lot too. It made it romantic, with the addition of TB classic dirty talk. I mean Julian could light anyone's pants on fire. A lot of people are saying that Hallie was too childish but I think that makes perfect sense with her personality.

Here's my spoiler-ish review so do not continue on if you don't want to know these tidbits:


I think one of my issues was the secret admirer letters. Yes they were cute, but honestly the entire hectic difference between the two MCs was enough drama for this stand-alone romance. I wasn't entirely sure why they were a big deal to Hallie and honestly they really ended up not being to Julian. Especially since she had the man hooked from there first meeting. Also, Hallie being upset that he couldn't remember her was a little dramatic, the man was in high school at a party and the encounter was portrayed as short. (This is fiction so its really not that big of a deal, buuuut I'm allowed to think that's ridiculous.) The story was sweet but THE END??? Literally, the book ended with THE END. I was startled to say the least. No epilogue?? I would've like to see Julian moved in with Hallie's dogs. I'm going to assume its because the next book picks up from that timeline, so hopefully we get some Hallie and Julian sneak peeks with Natalie's (Julian's sister) story.

Like all of the other Tessa Bailey books I've read, I really enjoyed this one! Hallie is a chaotic mess (kind of like myself) and Julian is a strict planner (kind of like my husband), although their personalities are on the extreme side of things. Overall, a cute feel good romance with another book coming for Julian's sister!

In typically Tessa Bailey fashion, this was an excellent sweet, steamy, emotional read. Really loved how this book addressed mental health. The relationship moved at a great pace. Really excited for the sequel! Thank you Berkley and Net Galley for this read!

4 Stars I was so excited to get this ARC on NetGalley and needless to say, Tessa Bailey's newest release does not disappoint! 29 year old Hallie Welch fell in love for Julian Vos fifteen years ago after a fateful night in his family's Napa vineyard when he almost became her first kiss. Now, Julian is back in town, taking a sabbatical from Stanford where he's a history professor in order to write a novel. Gardener Hallie is hired by Julian's mom to do some work around the guest house Julian and staying in, so Hallie wonders if this is their second chance. Grown up Julian is grumpy and clashes with Hallie's brand of chaos. After a drunken girls' night, Hallie writes Julian a secret admirer letter and leaves it on his jogging route. While Julian wonders about his secret admirer (who keeps sending letters), he also grows closer with Hallie, growing to admire her free spirit, even if that means dealing with her chaos, which triggers his anxiety.

I thought Tessa did a wonderful job with the anxiety rep in this novel; it felt realistic and wasn't too much, which I've encountered in other books with characters similar to Julian. Hallie and Julian were a great couple and I loved how they both accepted and challenged each other. The one thing I wasn't as crazy about with this book was the actual secret admirer letters. Based on the book's description, I thought there would be more of them or it would be a bigger part of the plot, but that wasn't the reality of it. There were about 4 letters total and the first one didn't happen right away. If the letters weren't part of the novel at all, I think the story would still basically be the same. Also, the content of the letters after the first one weren't very secret admirer-y, and more just philosophical ramblings and questions about life.

I still absolutely love Tessa Bailey and I can't wait for Unfortunately Yours--Julian's sister Natalie's story!

I usually really love Tessa Bailey books, but honestly this one wasn’t one of my favorites. It was a cute story overall, but it was hard to get into and the plot was a little all over the place. If you like spicy books, this one definitely has those moments. I gave this book 3/5⭐️.

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

Tessa Bailey will always get you out of a reading slump. Secretly Yours, a grumpy sunshine romance is cute and spicy; perfect for an afternoon read.

I usually like Tessa Bailey’s books and will always give them a shot but I couldn’t connect with this one. Ultimately I didn’t care much about either character or their romance, I think I may have actually actively disliked either one or both of them throughout the book. Maybe I’ll revisit this one in the future and like it more but I think TB has written much better romances than this.