Thank you to NetGalley for the read.

This was a fun read that I devoured in several hours. I love all of the books I've read so far by Tessa, and this one was no exception.

Hallie is a fun, quirky character. I love all the stunts she pulls on Uncorked. Julian was a likeable character as well. I liked how the author write about panic attacks and loss of close family. This was more than just a fluffy romance novel.

I would recommend this book to a friend!

I love Tessa Bailey’s books and this did not disappoint. The main characters, Hallie and Julian, are delightfully mismatched and yet somehow a perfect fit. All of the background characters were also super fun and I can’t wait for Natalie’s story. The only reason this book gets a 4 instead 5 from me is that Julian becomes a bit obsessive and jealous before they even start anything. While he questions this in his own narration, it still struck me off and on as unhealthy. Overall a really fun and fast read. The spice is excellent, as is to be expected from Tessa Bailey.

Sweet story with sweet characters. I loved the character development throughout the book and it kept me engaged and entertained. Loved the 2 main characters and the sweet relationships that continued to develop with the supporting characters too.

Hallie is a tornado…she flies by the seat of her pants through life. When her high school crush, Julian, moves back to town she can’t help but fantasize about what he is like as an adult. Turns out he is the polar opposite of her. He has come back to town to write his novel and every minute of his day is structured and regimented. Can tornado Hallie show him there is more to life than keeping perfect order?

This is a precious little romance story. The characters are lovable and relatable. It is spicy at times, so just be ready for that 🔥 It’s a perfect read for February!

I was so excited to read Secretly Yours because I am a huge Tessa Bailey fan after reading It Happened One Summer! I may have liked this one even more, purely because this book just gave me SO much joy reading it. It's literally sunshine for the soul!

What I loved:
- Second chance romance (kinda?), opposites attract, curvy MC
- Hallie's heart! I really enjoyed her as a main character due to her spontaneity and pranks on Uncorked. The "secret admirer" letter was a bit odd, but I feel that it kinda fit her character.
- Julian. Wow. I loved Brendan from IHOS, and Julian is a very very close second for me! He's grumpy, intelligent, caring, thoughtful, protective and just everything! The anxiety representation/panic attacks are represented well.
- This is one of the few books that has just left. me glowing after reading it. It just left me so happy!
- Tessa Bailey dirty talk in this one. It's just as good at you're imagining!

Read if you loved:

- It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
- Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

All in all, if you're looking for an opposites attract romance with some humor, give this one a try!

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Bailey and Avon books for the opportunity to read this ARC!

4.5 stars

I actually didn’t really enjoy the FMC, Hallie. She just seemed like a bit of a mess (which fits with the series title, I suppose)—she’s floundering in her job after her grandmother passed, she’s still stuck on this crush she’s had since she was 14, and she’s still a virgin…at nearly 30. While I understand why she’s held onto this crush for so long (because Julian is bae), her holding everyone up to a standard of a boy she interacted with ONCE when she was 14 felt a little creepy to me.

But Julian? He was the star of Secretly Yours. He’s an uptight (grumpy, if you will) professor who is taking a sabbatical to write a book. He clearly has anxiety, maybe some OCD, but he can’t resist Hallie, even if she throws him off his schedule. I loved him.

"When she isn’t smiling, the world becomes a terrible place."

Can you resist a man who just wants to make you happy all the time? I can’t.

So Secretly Yours was still a really enjoyable read for me, despite the fact that Hallie wasn’t as likable or relatable as hoped. But her interactions with Julian were adorable and sweet, and when that man turns into a dirty talking king? I’m dead.

I have high hopes for Unfortunately Yours, as I can already see the sparks flying!

Thank you to Avon Books for the review copy!

This is an opposites attract, second chance, grumpy/sunshine(ish), steamy romance that brought out all the feels! It was fast paced and a sweet read that is coming out just in time for Valentines Day! (Feb 7th).

I loved the relationship build and tension that grew between Hallie and Julian. I found myself laughing out loud and rooting for Hallie and Julian’s love from the beginning! I cannot wait for the second book in this series to come out!

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for sending me this free eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Tessa Bailey never disappoints. She’s truly a queen of romance and this was such a fun read! I loved the chemistry between the characters and how mischievous Hallie was!! The setting of the story also added to the appeal!! I cannot wait to read the second book in this series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The premise is creepy--the main characters *almost* kissed in high school, and Hallie has been fantasizing about Julian and that kiss ever since.
So when he mysteriously comes back to town to "write a novel," Hallie concocts a reason to landscape his yard, bringing a whole lot of chaos into his life, which he actually seems to like.
Julian is creepy--his "sexy" dirty talk is anything but. It was gross. And! He figured that Hallie was a virgin and still allowed her first time to be outside in the grass. Not even on a blanket! Ew. Selfish jerk.
And what's with the not-so-secret letter writing? That whole storyline wasn't even needed in this book.
This book is a mess, not a vine mess, just a mess.

I usually love Tessa Bailey books but I'm sorry.... This book was a hot mess.

Where's the character development? Where's the plot? Why does this book feel like it was written by a man?

Hallie had everything going for her but somehow she's still virgin and still so low on self esteem? Ehhh didn't feel believable to me.

The sex scene from the man's perspective was frankly disgusting. I felt like that was a step in the wrong direction for feminism.

Overall I'm sorry Tessa but this book ain't it. 😵‍💫

I don’t normally like romances in which one MC has been pining after the other for 10+ years, but in this one, it kind of worked. I honestly didn’t love Hallie at first and her overall hot mess personality irritated me…that is until I understood that she felt lost and untethered, and then I just felt for her.

This was truly an “opposites attract” and “better together” romance and I really enjoyed watching Julian and Hallie’s relationship evolve and see them realize while they’re so different they don’t need to “change” for the other person to love them. I felt for Julian SO HARD the entire book. His anxiety and his want for Hallie but feeling that he’s bad for her. This book definitely packed an emotional punch despite being a RomCom (which I always appreciate).

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Avon or Harper Voyager. All opinions are my own.

“I finished my book and it’s terrible… But I needed to finish the first horrible draft in order to know how to fix it. No one gets anything worthwhile right on the first try. That’s why we evolve. That’s why we change.”

You guys are not ready for Julian. You’re not.

Ready, that is.

For Julian.

But you will take him. And you will say Thank You. Oh yes, you will.

There are a lot of perfect things about this book. But at the very top is the anxiety rep. Tessa take a bow. You deserve to be praised until the end of times for bringing to a romcom such raw and real rep of what is like to live with anxiety. You gave us swoony romance with a window into how panic attacks can be so hard on a person’s life, so hard on a family’s life, specially if one doesn’t have the right support, the right foundation, the right help to show them it’s okay. That they will be okay.

And if you’re not ready for Julian, you’re probably not ready for the storm of rainbow and sunshine that is Hallie. The grief bruised Hallie. Who brings life and color and messy-everything into Julian’s life, into our lives. But despite all the splashes of color, Hallie carries a whole lot of pain, of longing, of hurt. Sure she might not know who she is right now, but the sun that follows her everywhere hasn’t forgotten.

#AVineMess is shaping up to be an unforgettable series because I’m already rooting for one ex-Navy SEAL who apparently has no taste buds 👀

What’s inside:
🖤romcom in wine country
🖤opposites attract
🖤second chance-ish
🖤teenage crush
🖤anxiety rep
🖤secret admirer letters

Adult. 4.5 stars ⭐️

Thank you, Net Galley for sending me an ARC to Secretly Yours! In typical Tessa Bailey fashion, this opposites attract, second chance, steamy romance brought out all the feels! It was a light, quick, and sweet read that is coming out just in time for Valentines Day! As is usually the case with Tessa’s books, I found myself laughing out loud and rooting for Hallie and Julian’s love from the beginning! If you’re looking for something fun and heartwarming to read, pick this one up next!

This was incredibly enjoyable. Per usual Tessa Bailey's characters are written so vividly, they are all truly individualized people. This is especially true for the main love interests. There was a moment where we see Hallie through Julian's eyes while she starts gardening early on when I just knew I was fully in this story with them and that this was going to be a great read.

I found myself relating to both characters even though they start as supposed polar opposites (grumpy/sunshine trope) which in my opinion is the beauty of the love story and the talent in the writing in getting to read and believe in how the best and worst parts of them fit together.

Another thing so refreshing about this romance is the honesty! Even with the side characters, it brought the humor and heart to the forefront that no one in this little universe holds back. I love when people get to just say what they want. I am looking forward to a reread and highlighting my favorite one liners.

And.. the spice - perfection. Stamp of approval from me.

Oh how I loved the characters in this book! Hallie is chaotic and wild and perfection and Julian is structured and stiff- meant to be:) I also loved the mid size girl representation, as well as getting a mmc that struggles with anxiety and panic attacks. It’s so rare we see that in the male characters but it was refreshing. I love their letters to each other and their slow burn in coming together. Tessa can do no wrong and she’s shown it once again!

This book is filled with all the things we know and love from Tessa Bailey: amazing laugh out loud moments, a bit of delicious spice, a great cast of characters, and unique predicament.

Secretly Yours follows Hallie, resident of St. Helena in Napa Valley, as she comes face to face with her long term crush from high school, Julian. She’s everything she’s wanted and 15 years later, she still wants him. Only problem..he doesn’t remember a moment that she’s been holding onto forever. So she decides the only way to get her feelings out is with an anonymous letter from a secret admirer.

Hallie is chaos personified in the best way. She struggling to find her footing after her grandmother’s passing, but she is literally sunshine. Her friendship with Lavinia is goals honestly. Julian is uptight and like a little raincloud. He feels inadequate for her and it’s sweet and sad at the same time. He’s dealing with some of his own anxiety while he starts to become interested in her. He doesn’t want to do anything to dull her shine and will do anything to make her happy.

Overall, it’s a great read and I only wish there was more of it. I look forward to seeing how things turn out for Natalie and August in the next book because the little taste we got in this one shows it’s gonna be wild.

If you are looking for a cute and spicy Valentines Day read, I’d recommend picking up this one. It’s got so much to love and if you are a fan of the grumpy/sunshine trope, you’ll want to check out this one.

I loved this book. The vibes of the book were so fun, I had such a great image in mind of the scenery and the overall picture for this book. Hallie and Julian were so adorable. Tessa Bailey does grumpy sunshine so well, Hallie's character was so sunshine and immediately shakes Julian's grumpiness. I was really sad when I got to the end, I felt like I could've read about them for so much longer.

OH MY GOD.
There just hasn’t been a Tessa Bailey book I haven’t enjoyed & this one is easily one of my favorites. The small town, loved it. The angst, ate it up. The anxiety rep, grumpy/sunshine mix, & dirty talk, to die for. I can’t wait for the next in the series. I laughed & swooned my whole way through this!

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey is a great start to a new series!

Things I am absolutely here for:
Hallie whose heart is so big and full of life
Disco ball vandalism
Cheese theft
Secret admirer letters with real vulnerability
Julian's authentic anxiety representation
How much Julian values Hallie's smiles
Story time with 30 children hopped up on sugar
Dirty talk
Worshipping curvy bodies
First time penetrative sex where the woman is treasured, desired, powerful, and gets her orgasms
Gardening!

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Every single time I read a Tessa Bailey book I am caught SO off guard by the LEVEL OF SMUT. The dirty talk? Truly inspired, every time.

This book really does give off manic pixie dream girl vibes, but .....I don't hate that. The male MC has super severe anxiety which I always love to see represented.

The plot seemed a little unnecessarily convoluted with the addition of the secret admirer letters, and the third-act breakup truly made my eyes roll, but you know what I couldn't put this down and it SLAPPED.