God how I wanted to love this book, I LOVE Tessa's work but this really just fell flat. It felt really cliche at times and forced at others. HOWEVER, I do think it's a great rom-com and there's great banter and if you know Tessa's work you know the spice is always there.

Haille is a carefree gardener who's had a crush on Julian Vos since 9th grade. He was a senior. They almost kissed in the vineyards during a high school party, but when he realized her age, he turned her down. Fifteen years later, Julian is back home after needing a bit of a mental health break when his mother hires Haille to spruce up the carriage house garden. Julian doesn't initially remember her, but once he does, sparks fly, and romance blossoms. However, upon Julian's return, Haille wrote him secret admirer letters and doesn't know how to broach the topic without ruining what they have.

I found the letter writing to be a little stalker-ish and for someone with anxiety I have a hard time believing he would just be 'okay' with that in the end.

3.5 Stars! I REALLY wanted to love this book, as it was one of my most anticipated, but unfortunately it fell flat for me.

What I enjoyed: Being a huge fan of Napa, I enjoyed the St. Helena setting and cozy small town vibes. Julian was an interesting male main character who was taking a sabbatical from teaching at Stanford to write a book- can that be more perfect?! I really like how he fell fast and hard for the female main character, Hailee, and how he was that reserved cinnamon role hero. I also enjoyed the side characters, especially Hailee’s best friend and Julian’s sister Natalie, who gets her own book next!

What didn’t work for me: I could not connect with Hailee. I found a lot of her behaviors immature and her character having very little growth from start to finish. I do not think the secret letters added anything to the story, and if you read the plot synopsis, it makes it seem as though it should play a larger role. Also, Hailee writes the first one after her and Julian established a connection, so what is really the point? Yes, it plays a part in the “conflict” but that was a whole different situation that I found unnecessary in the story development.

I did really love Natalie, so I will try Unfortunately Yours and hope I connect with it more!!

Thank you to Avon for providing an ARC for this review!

The thing with any Tessa Bailey book is that when she hits the mark, she REALLY hits the mark. I always know going in that it's either going to be a definite win or a definite loss, with basically no in between.

For me, this one was NOT a win. I want to be fair in the sense that everyone knows Tessa Bailey's MO going into her books, so the unreasonably horny characters shouldn't catch me off guard at this point, but this was a lot. The male love interest's POV of meeting the female lead quite literally is just an entire paragraph about her boobs. In fact, we actually get 4 paragraphs into that first impression before he makes it up to her face.

As another note, the female lead has also harbored a crush on the male lead for FIFTEEN YEARS, which might not be that unreasonable if she didn't legitimately say that it has kept her from other serious relationships because she's so hung up on him. Mind you, he doesn't even recognize her until a solid halfway through the book. GIRL STAND UP!!!!!!!!

The secret admirer thing that the title, description AND cover imply is going to be the central plot could've been entirely edited out without any effect on the plot. Even the climax of that plot line ends up being completely and utterly pointless. The third act conflict also hinges on a specific use of the male lead's anxiety that just...didn't land for me, but I'll avoid diving into that to save anyone the spoilers.

There are books of Tessa's that feel like a complete package, and then there are books she's written that feel like she planned the sex scenes and then randomly threw in side plots to create filler. This was the latter for me.

Another stunning Tessa Bailey rom-com is hitting the shelves in February and it’s a must read! I couldn’t get enough of the main characters and their banter! I love a high school crush-turn-adult romance! And a curvy female MC plus a male MC that openly struggles with anxiety… I’m swooning! You have to pick this one up ASAP I tore through it in one night!

Initially the premise of the story seemed cute... secret admirer letters. I only wish that there would have been more. The aggressive dirty talk by the male MC for pretty much the entirety of the book was really a turn off for me.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

There is so much I love about Tessa Bailey’s writing: her sense of humor, her lovable characters, and (of course) plentiful dirty talk. That said, as much as I enjoyed parts of this book, it wasn’t my favorite of hers.

I’ll start off with the things I liked: the side characters were funny and charming, and their banter with the protagonists was the main source of much-needed comedic relief. The spice was spicy. The dogs were adorable. And the scene where Julian retells Back To the Future at storytime to a bunch of unruly kids was a total hoot.

Compared to other TB books I’ve read, this one is a bit heavier in tone and subject matter, and it seems like it’s trying to do a bit too much all at once. Hallie (FMC) is still in the process of grieving her late grandmother, and Julian (MMC) is coping unhealthily with severe anxiety. It tries to offset these elements with a few classic rom-com shenanigans, but the overall balance was a bit off. I had a really hard time getting into the story, and I found some of the winery/wine shop subplots a bit boring. Add in the secret admirer letters and the whole thing just felt a bit all over the place. I also did not love the third-act conflict, and I reeeally didn’t love how quickly and publicly it was resolved, especially considering the subject matter at hand.

Even though this wasn’t my favorite of Tessa Bailey’s books, I’ll definitely pick up the next book in the series, Unfortunately Yours (which follows Julian’s sister Natalie and ex-Navy SEAL-turned-vintner August, whose early begrudging attraction we caught glimpses of in this book).

Overall rating: 3.25 stars
Spice level: 3/5

*ARC Review*

Secretly Yours is a second chance, small town romance that I have been dreaming of reading from the moment I saw the beautiful cover! And I am happy to say that I really enjoyed it!

In classic Tessa Bailey style, the writing was witty, the steam was STEAMIN', and the characters were lovable.

I loved Bailey's take on a grumpy sunshine story. Hallie, the effervescent gardener who wears her heart on her sleeve was a perfect opposite to Julian, the disciplined professor/writer. Their interactions were satisfying the whole way through and I enjoyed seeing their relationship go from one of confusion to love. I also loved the anxiety rep and thought Julian's panic attacks as well as the shame that comes with them were discussed beautifully.

I will say that the secret admirer plot was not needed for the story. I felt there was enough complexity within the two characters and the secondary characters to go without it. It was the only part of the story that felt unfinished and if you took it out the story could stay the same.

@TessaBailey, please make an alternative cover with Todd the boxer on the cover. I will beg.

Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family's winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to their small town. When Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she'll finally get that smooch. But the grumpy professor isn't the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly. One wine-fueled girls' night later, Hallie can't shake the sense that she did something reckless--and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit. On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She's eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt--and so unbelievably beautiful, he can't focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past. Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he's sucked further into Hallie's orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian's gray-scale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there's something so familiar about her... and her very presence is turning his world upside down

We've got some opposites attract, grumpy sunshine, small town romance tropes in the mix. I loved the small town community and charm. I wanted to go drink wine at Corked or hang out with Hallie and British bestie while eating pasta at the local restaurant. I loved that these polished family characters of the Vos family were actually extremely flawed and messy. I also enjoyed that there was a lot of talk surrounding loss and mental health and finding yourself.

To be honest though, this felt a little messier than some of her previous books. There was maybe one too many things going on and a lot of it felt misplaced. But that being said, I am so excited for book 2 about Julian's sister. That just sounds like a wild ride I wanna be on!

Thanks the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 2/7!

Secretly Yours is all you want and have come to expect from Tessa Bailey. If you are thinking about reading this for Valentine's Day, do it. Its such a wonderful.story. I went into this knowing I would love it and I did.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.

I had a great time reading this book. It was sort of a second chance romance, with secret admirer letters thrown in. I enjoyed how Julian was kind of the grumpy uptight character and Hailey was the sunshine chaotic one and that they sort of balanced each other out. It wouldn't be a romance without the angst of the two of them trying to deny their attraction to each other and insisting they would not be good for each other. It is not my favorite Tessa Bailey book but overall I had fun reading it and that's all I was looking for.

I love Tessa Bailey. I own so many of her books and I just adore her and her writing. To me- this was not it. I did not love this book at all. This did not feel like Tessa Bailey wrote this and it gave me novella vibes.. just felt thrown into the story and not in a good way. I wanted to love this so much, the cover is absolutely beautiful and the overall concept of the story intrigued me but my heart was not with this book and I'm so sorry about it.

Ugh, adorable. Just adorable. A good tale of miscommunication, secret admirers and a slow then fast fall.

Just read it! It's perfect for Valentines.

While I still consider Tessa Bailey one of my favorite romance, this book with the these specific tropes was just not my ideal romance novel. But marriage of convenience in Unfortunately Yours, SIGN ME UP!!!

3.75 ⭐️

#SecondChance #ChildhoodFriends
#SecretLetters #GrumpxSunshine #OppositesAttract #SmallTown

*mild spoilers ahead*

This was such a cute romcom with a few of my favorite tropes (grumpy x sunshine, childhood friends, you’ve got mail secret correspondence)! Go with flow Hallie Welch has been pining after regimented Julian Vos since freshman year of high school when they had an almost kiss in his family’s vineyard. After circumstances bring him back from Oxford, he becomes enamored with Hallie, but can they set aside their personality differences to get together?

I liked the set up in the first half of the book a lot, but I feel like the rest of the book didn’t execute the tropes as well as I would’ve liked. It took more than half the book to get to the first spicy scene. And the “twist” aka miscommunication, in this case, lying by omission, didn’t really feel like high stakes. I didn’t feel all the threads were resolved and that’s why I didn’t love this book as much as I would like. I do love how Julian is an absolute darling for Hallie and I like how Hallie embraces her whole self in going forward. Overall, cute but would like better resolution in all the loose threads. Love their love!

Special thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager, NetGalley, and Tessa Bailey for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

TL;DR: A cute romance featuring (sort of) second-chance, Grumpy X Sunshine, small wine town and (sort of) forced proximity. Spice was excellent. But the main characters really need therapy.

The plot: I actually didn't like the anonymous letters plot at all. Hallie and Julian already had a connection, and I think could've developed their relationship without that added element. I don't think it worked as well as it could have because Hallie was in regular contact and communication with Julian. If it was all secret letters then meeting I think it would've been different. I also don't think the letters warranted the reaction of the third act conflict. Miscommunication is one of my least favorite tropes, and it's really frustrating to be in each of the characters heads where they just over think everything instead of saying SOMETHING to the other one. I know it's scary, etc. I also don't think it's realistic, though, that there wouldn't have been any of those conversations outside of the letters.

The spice: The dirty talk was sooooo good. One of the things Tessa Bailey excels at and is known for. I was also pleasantly surprised that no on-page sex was done in a bed! That was fun. His masturbation in the shower, the mutual masturbation in the kitchen, the scene in the vineyard, the encounter in her private garden... Ugh. No notes. The MOUTH ON THAT MAN is so filthy and I love it. I will say the virgin thing was a little weird. It surprised me and I'm not sure I liked that being a main focal point.

The anxiety rep: I hated how much judgement and ridicule Julian received from his family and especially his father. Clearly mental health was not something his parents took seriously, and it made me really sad. I do think his coping skills were repeated too frequently and didn't help the plot move forward. Learning about his panic attacks after the fire helped with context, but I think Julian deserved more growth than "I love Hallie so I'll try to be less anxious." I have anxiety, and I don't think this representation was as good as other books I've read with anxious characters.

The town: I loved the town, thought the supporting characters were pretty funny and I can't wait for Natalie's story.

One of Tessa Bailey's best new releases! I was unsure if I would like Secretly Yours, because My Killer Vacation just wasn't for me. I was very pleased to find I loved it. It has similar vibes to some of Tessa's older books. If you enjoyed Fix Her Up or Tools of Engagement, I think you will definitely enjoy this. I'm a sucker for a grumpy-sunshine romance and Hallie and Julian did not disappoint. You can't help but laugh at Hallie and her antics while she tries to save a local business from the new competition by sabotaging disco balls and stealing fancy cheese. While I enjoyed Secretly Yours, I absolutely cannot wait to read Natalie's story in Unfortunately Yours.

Tessa Bailey books are cheesy and hilarious and I love them so much! Secretly Yours is more of the same, and such a great time!

I really liked this book! I've read Bailey's other work and really enjoyed it, so I had high hopes for this one. I thought the character development was excellent; I love that Bailey always infuses real-life, relatable flaws and problems into her characters which really makes you invested in their stories. I've never been to Napa, but I felt like I had after reading this book. The plot was predictable, but what rom-com doesn't have a predictable plot? The inevitable "happy ending" is part of the fun of reading them. I would definitely recommend this book and Bailey's others to any of my friends and anyone looking for a heartfelt and fun read.

This book was adorable. As soon as I met Julian, I knew I would fall in love. Hallie took me a while to warm up to, but as soon as I did and as soon as she realized her issues, I was all in with her. Both of these characters were flawed, but on the outside they put up such a front that you don't see it. I loved that Hallie had been crushing on Julian since she was in high school and he turned out to be such a good man.
Julian has anxiety and PTSD, he needs to keep a schedule and when things go off course, he can't handle it. Hallie is a bit of a mess, but Julian likes her kind of mess and can't stay away. Hallie has always been free, but lately she has been lost. I loved seeing both of these characters come together and be just what the other needed.
Thank you to Avon, Tessa Bailey and Netgalley for an early copy.

I laughed so much while reading this book! Tessa Bailey has done it again. The chemistry was written so well. I flew through this book in just two days and will do a reread very soon. Tessa Bailey is definitely one of my favorite authors!