Wow, i was not expecting all the down and dirty sex. Doesn't mean i didn't enjoy it though. . I think i enjoyed it,? Maybe? I don't know. That's kinda how i feel about this book. I loved the characters. And i loved the dialogue. I just wish there had been more of it. Having said all that, I'm looking forward to Natalie's story in "Unfortunately Yours."

A classic Tessa Bailey hit! It has all the features of Tessa's books that we have all grown to love: charming setting, laugh out loud scenes and of course the spice! But what I really loved about this book was the anxiety representation, especially in the MMC!

This is a super cute take on grumpy sunshine/opposites attract with a side of small town charm. Set in napa valley, following Hallie, a go with the flow gardner who is surprised when she runs into her high school crush Julian who is back in town 15 years later. And although he initially doesn't remember her, he is infatuated by her carefree approach to life, especially in comparison to his scheduled and regimented day-to-day. However, when Hallie decides to write Julian a secret admirer letter, their relationship gets even more complicated.

While I normally connect with FMCs, I really connected with Julian in a profound way and the MMC growth through this novel was much more than is typically seen in a lot of romance and more than in other Tessa Bailey books I've read in the past.

I loved the setting and the other small town side characters and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series!

Wow! Such a cute book! The premise of writing secret admirer letters is adorable. I really enjoyed reading this one.

✨What to expect✨
•Crush of 15 years
•Wine lovers
•Disorganized gardener
•Grumpy professor
•Opposites attract
 
✨Thoughts✨
Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling this book. I found the plot to be boring, I was not invested in it at all.  I was not a fan of either of the MCs either. I did love that a curvy girl was being represented with Hallie. But I found Hallie to be very childish and juvenile with how she handled herself and her business. As for Julian, I did feel for the guy and his mental health. But the way it was interpreted could have been a lot better. I don’t think what he was going through was explained well enough. As for him being so strait-laced, then out of nowhere being this dirty talker…it felt random and didn’t fit his character in my opinion.
 
I personally didn’t see the chemistry between these two, there definitely was an infatuation between them. But love? I wasn’t feeling that deep connection, they only had a handful of conversations.
 
As for the secret letters, I was excited about the concept, and I think they had so much potential. But it didn’t have the impact I hoped. The drama with the letters felt super silly and ridiculous.
 
As for the smut/spice, it wasn’t good compared to what Tessa usually gives us. As for that little surprise with Hallie… I didn’t like it and didn’t think it was necessary.
 
I do want to read the next book, because honestly Natalie was probably the one character I did like. I wanted to know more about her and what was going on with her story.

Hallie Welch is holding on tight to the memory of her late grandmother and her everlasting teenage crush on Julian Vos. Meanwhile, Julian is holding on tight to the spiteful words of his father and his rigid schedule. When Hallie, the tornado of chaos and sunshine, is hired to create a garden on the Vos vineyard, their opposites sure do attract. Will Hallie finally get to fulfill her teenage dreams? Will Julian be able to let go of his need for a strict itinerary in order to embrace his personal sunshine?

There was so much to like about this one. I really enjoyed the variation on a typical grumpy/sunshine. Julian wasn't a “grump” by definition but his rigidity and need for schedules and timelines makes him the perfect juxtaposition to Hallie's mismatched, spur of the moment, colorful way of life. I thought their mutual struggle with the ties to their families added a nice connection piece. However. I really wasn't into the letters being the driving force behind the inevitable third act drama. Wanting to remain mostly spoiler free, I will leave that vague. I wasn't a fan of the miscommunication involved but that's on par with my personal preferences for any book. The end felt a bit rushed to me too. Although, I thought the anxiety representation through Julian was good. Anxiety doesn't present the same for everyone but I thought his example was done well.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a rom-com with the usual unrealistic yet funny scenarios and a bit of spice.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper for my copy of this in exchange for my review!

Tessa Bailey is generally an auto-buy author for me so it’s pains me to say this book was a complete miss for me.

The story never quite sucked me in. The epistolary element with the letters started out cute but somehow turned into the source of conflict. I couldn’t really follow why they were upset at the big reveal instead of it being a You’ve Got Mail style “I wanted it to be you all along!”

When I saw the cover reveal for this, I was cautiously optimistic that Bailey was writing her first female heroine who isn’t a tiny sprite of a woman. And it is true that Hallie is described as curvy, maybe even plus size? But ooof - the way that Julian describes her is not ok. A sensitivity read from a fat reader would’ve helped a lot to avoid some seriously cringe worthy references to her body as soft, jiggly, and always shaking.

Parts of the book would border on well done, particularly Julian’s struggle with anxiety and panic attacks, but they’d pull away when things got deep.

Content warnings: references to being involved in a wildfire; panic and anxiety attacks; grief over dead grandmother

I voluntarily read an early version of this book. All opinions are my own.

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @avonbooks for an early copy of Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Secretly Yours tells the story of Hallie, an eccentric, full of positive energy gardener who’s had the hots for Julian ever since she was fourteen years old, after they almost kissed in the vineyard of his family’s winery. Julian has returned to their small Napa town after so long (he has been living near Stanford and is a professor) when Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens of Julian’s family’s estate. Hallie is the biggest distraction for the meticulous Julian, who’s always strict in following the tight schedule he sets for himself. Additionally, he has been receiving secret admirer letters, sent by someone from his past. Despite this, he’s still overly attracted to Hallie.

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

I really had high expectations for Tessa Bailey’s new novel, as I really loved the last book I read written by her, Hook, Line and Sinker. Sad to say I am quite disappointed with this one. The overall storyline was a mess. The emotions from the main characters were all over the place – from being serious and deeply interested in each other to trying to divert their feelings and avoiding each other; the chemistry was non-existent for me. I had a lot of issues with them: Hallie has been crushing on Julian for more than a decade, over an almost kiss between them on a drunken night, Julian has anxiety issues but the nature of such wasn’t really explained, and who replies to a letter from a secret admirer with utmost curiosity when you’re already pining and considering dating somebody else? This just gives me cheater vibes tbh. Additionally, his dirty talk actually was so out of character for him; when he speaks it’s like he’s a different person completely for a serious and uptight guy.

The supporting characters were the ones that carried the story for me, especially Natalie. Her personality seems interesting; she gives me rebellious vibes for some reason, and I can’t wait to read her story in Bailey’s next novel, Unfortunately Yours.

Rating Secretly Yours ⭐⭐.5/5. Releases February 7th, 2023.

I just devoured this book. I could hardly put it down. The balance of funny and serious was so deft. I was laughing one minute and wanting to hug Hallie or Julian the next minute. I was completely invested in the characters in the first few pages. Both Julian's and Hallie's struggles were very relatable even through they seemed like such opposites. I loved every page, and I can hardly wait for Natalie's story.

2.5 STARS

Hallie Welch has had a secret crush for a long time on the son of a local vineyard owner. Julian Vos has returned to his Napa home after a several years absence and a career as an Ivy League professor. While on sabbatical, he is determined to write a novel; however, when Hallie comes blasting into his life, Julian has major trouble concentrating. Hallie manipulated herself into a job landscaping to be close to Julian if only to fuel her fantasies. Hallie and Julian are polar opposites in just about every aspect including personalities, respect for being on time, and what each considers the key to happiness.

Hallie is a whirlwind of activity; she can’t sit still while Julian lives his life by a rigid schedule with any derivation causing him anxiety. While Julian seems like someone on the spectrum, some of his rigidity comes from a traumatic event in his youth. Hallie grew up with a vagabond mother who dragged her around until she went to live with her grandmother who was a local landscaper.

Hallie bounces around with her feelings for Julian while he is thoroughly distracted by her much to his chagrin. After an alcohol-fueled girl’s night out, Hallie gets the brilliant idea to write a secret admirer letter to Julian. All of these events upset Julian’s carefully constructed life while Hallie continues to try and attract him by parading scantily clad outside his window planting flowers.

Fans of Ms. Bailey know what to expect which is a mix of crazy scenarios, steamy scenes, and improbable happy endings. Some elements of this story like Julian not figuring out his secret admirer seemed a little lame. My favorite character was Hallie’s British friend who runs the local doughnut shop; she had the best lines. This book, like Hallie, is all over the place. so readers who enjoy that kind of frenetic writing will be pleased.

Tessa Bailey is back with another steamy rom-com, this time around about a stoic professor desperate to finish his first novel and a bubbly gardener who’s determined to ruin his routine—and change his life forever. Hallie Welch, gardener extraordinaire, fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen after they shared an almost kiss in the vineyards of his famous family. Now that the hottie has returned to their small town, Hallie wonders if they can finally get that do-over. But the grumpy professor isn’t who she remembers—Julian is sullen, stuck to his routines and not in favour of anything disrupting his life and plans for the future. One wine-fuelled night later, Hallie ends up writing a drunken secret admirer letter for Julian.

Julian, meanwhile, just wants to finish his first novel and make something of himself outside of the family business—but the sparkly gardener showing up right outside his window proves to be more of a distraction than Julian would like. Still, he can’t seem to shake the feeling that he needs Hallie in his life. When a letter from a woman in his past shows up, Julian can’t help but feel torn—should he cling to the letters he feels drawn to or pursue Hallie who’s making his life better, brighter and more chaotic than he’d ever imagined?

Honestly, this book had me at stoic rule follower meets personified sunshine.

It’s no secret (hah, get it) that Bailey excels at creating character dynamics that work really well and Secretly Yours is no different. Julian and Hallie couldn’t be more different, yet their differences are not only what attracts them to each other but what makes them realise that it’s okay to not fit the mould everyone else may want them to fit into. I really loved both characters on their own. Julian is way too relatable with his type A personality, his insistence on his routines that structure his life so he doesn’t get overwhelmed and the truths that hide behind that desire for clean-cut systems. Meanwhile, Hallie is a bit of whirlwind, who lights up every room simply by entering it and whose personality is so addictive because of the way it makes you feel being in her presence. Seeing Julian feel almost helpless not to pursue Hallie because he’s so entranced with her was so heartwarming. There’s also quite a lot of push and pull, banter and trying to suppress your attraction which ramps up the tension.

The overarching plot of Hallie trying to to keep the memory of her grandmother alive while Julian is still struggling with the harsh words his father had for him years ago also tied in together really well with the things that hold both Hallie and Julian back in life. Their struggles aren’t easy to overcome, but in the end they grow individually and together, which always feels so cathartic from a reader’s point of view.

What I will say, though, is that the pacing felt a bit off at points, especially when it came to a specific plotline that somewhat interfered with relationship development. While I loved the secret admirer plotline, I don’t really think it added a lot to the story beyond being fodder for the (some would say inevitable) miscommunication toward the end of the novel. Still, it was kind of sweet that Julian felt he could open up to this secret admirer and speak about his concerns of falling short in life and love.

As a little bonus, we also get amazing side characters and a little bit of foreshadowing for the second book in this series with Julian’s sister, who already owns my heart. I can’t wait to see what she will be up to in Unfortunately Yours.

If you’re looking for a small town romance filled with heaps of steam and sweetness and a strong opposites-attract pairing, then Secretly Yours will make for the perfect read this Valentine’s Day!

Tessa Bailey always delivers! This was such a cute, funny, and sometimes heartwarming book. We have a professor/author and a gardener… gah it was just so cute and surprisingly funny! Definitely recommend to my romance readers!

📖 BOOK REVIEW 📖

💗 Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey 💗

I have so many thoughts about this one, I’m hoping I can get them across in a way that makes sense!

I loved the MMC and how his character growth. His anxiety and focus on schedules to deal with it made me really just love him. I loved seeing the FMC come in and mess up his world in a good way, and what seemed like would never work was actually them being perfect for each other because they work for it and for each other.

The love letters idea?? So adorable and so unique and I absolutely loved that! Also the grumpy sunshine take was super unique too, it was just atypical in a way that I really appreciated because it was different.

The only thing that didn’t work for me was the romance. The scenes didn’t seem to fit the characters in my opinion and they just hit wrong for me. I don’t know exactly how to explain it but I felt like it should have been more sweet than steamy, like it was forced to be spicy just for the sake of readers and not the characters?

BUT, the character development and overall story theme was just so beautiful that it made the whole read worth it. So overall it was a net positive experience! 💗 I will still read her next book set in the same town because I just love her writing style.

I support the Harper Collins Union strike. Avon and Harper Voyager are an imprint of Harper Collins Publishing.

I’m kinda surprised I didn’t like this like I thought I would.

Quick read, but everything felt kinda half done and dragged on. I know there’s usually no big plot with romances, but this didn’t give me the gushy heart feelings that I typically shoot for when it comes to romance- or a banging good sex scene.

Characters would start to get deeper but then would crack jokes or have a cringey internal monologue. Then deep traumatic pasts would come up and just scrape the surface.
I didn’t feel invested with any of the characters.

I was excited about the secret admirer aspect but that played more of a back burner role (only 3 letters from Hallie and 1 from Jullian).

18+ There were only 3 spicy scenes (1 just Jullian, 2 together but only 1 with the actual deed, virgin trope but it wasn’t made like a big deal like they usually are done). Didn’t feel like normal Tessa Bailey smut. The big scene with the most detail happened at like 73% too!

Ps- what happened with Uncorked?! I need justice.

Overall page use could have been utilized better. Give me more of the characters, more of the small business rivalry, more of the dogs, more of the competing love interests and jealousy! This just didn’t give what I wanted.

Check content warnings.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the hard working publishing employees who deserve fair contracts for this digital ARC.

I've read several of Tessa Bailey's books and this one doesn't compare. It doesn't even feel like it was written by the same author. The plot was weak and had way too many subplots: competing wine stores, a failing vineyard, mental health struggles, secret admirer letters. It all felt disjointed and didn't flow very well.

The main characters Hallie and Julian are both dealing with different mental health struggles throughout the story which really defined who they were. Julian is a strict, uptight professor who would launch into this ridiculous dirty talk that felt so out of place. There were countless conversations and situations that were so awkward I found myself quite perplexed while reading.

I really enjoyed Tessa's other works, like the Bellinger Sisters series, which for current steamy romances feels like the major leagues; whereas Secretly Yours feels like the minor leagues...and a losing game at that.

This book highlighted a unique form of anxiety and OCD. Seeing this portrayed in the male MC rather than the female was refreshing. I really enjoyed the tropes used along with the unique small town setting. It seems that Tessa Bailey has solidified her sweet spot with this new series, spicy small town romances! The chemistry was off the charts between the main characters, and the dual perspectives amplified it.

So Tessa Bailey has written some of my favorite romances, unfortunately this is probably my least favorite of them. I liked this at the beginning, but it just really lost me. I liked our FMC okay, i like the totally opposites that our MC’s were. The MmC was fine, but a bit bland and i didn’t totally understand him, or any of his motivations or anxieties. The plot of this was really not there. And the letter conflict was just kind of ridiculous. I really didn’t enjoy too much about this, and it just didn’t feel like the Tessa Bailey books i’ve loved. I would give this 2.5/3 stars

Secretly Yours: ★ ★ ★ . 5

Tessa Bailey (A Vine Mess, #1)

"...you’re worth burning for. You’re worth turning and driving straight into the fire.”

If Hallie Welch's undying crush on her high school heartthrob already had no signs of stopping, that hope was only exacerbated when stoic, broody Julian Vos returns to their hometown.

Tropes:
- Small Town
- Second chance (ish?)
- Grumpy sunshine
- Opposites attract
- Secret admirer letters

It is obvious that the second Miss Tessa Bailey announced this new series & their cuter than cute covers, I had to read it.

Hallie is sunshine personified with a love for flowers and a bit of a rebellious streak in her. She's loyal to her family & friends and all she wants is to see the business close to her heart thrive–so much so that she would do anything for it. She's really a lovely character overall even if her immaturity sometimes drove me wild. Julian, as Lavinia puts it, is your typical case of tall, handsome, and broody. He's a man with a schedule & sticks to it, no matter what. With family & physical trauma in his past, he's not easy to adapt to change, but can't help it when Hallie keeps throwing him off his strict regime.

The first half of this story really drew me in. I loved the grumpy/sunshine aspect–of course–and I loved the banter between the two of them. Hallie's crush was endearing and Julian's helplessness around her was all textbook Tessa Bailey swoon-worthy goodness. Their interactions were flirty & tension filled. The humor kept me going. It was all so enjoyable.

But then it kind of fell off for me. Personally, the secret letters & miscommunication trope has never done it for me. And then the extent to which Hallie drew out the truth despite knowing she should have told Julian the truth really irked me. She knew how he was as a person & still didn't think she should come clean? The letters also started after they'd been ~intimate~ with one another so it just seemed a little pointless because there was already an obvious connection & attraction between them. That whole storyline wasn't my favorite, and it didn't seem necessary to the story at all, if I was being honest. And the letters being the reason for the third act conflict was just the extra no on top of it all.

Naturally, Tessa Bailey brings the heat with this one too. Even if it seemed out of character for this very straight laced man to say the things that he said, I knew to expect it from Tessa Bailey because even the grumpiest, quietest men–who have themselves admitted that they do not have much sexual experience–are suddenly dirty talking devils.

Natalie is my kind of girl through & though–not to mention, I loved all the crumbs of her & August–so I am buzzing with excitement to read Unfortunately Yours soon because it is one of my favorite tropes EVER!

ARC kindly shared by Netgalley for an honest review.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

2.5 - 3 ⭐️ A sweet, second-chance romance that takes place in beautiful wine country


"All time is not created equal. I know that now. Time with you is the most substantial of all. I'll probably never be able to stop counting the minutes that we're apart, but the ones when we're together, I'm leaving room for anything."


WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ small town setting
✨ dual POV
✨ second chance romance
✨ opposites attract
✨ grumpy x sunshine
✨ fun-loving, messy, virgin gardener
✨ serious, organized, secret cinnamon roll professor
✨ secret admirer letters
✨ miscommunication
✨ lies by omission
✨ so much tension
✨ smut
✨ mental health discussions


Summary:

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.


Thoughts

It's a fine story, but I must say, I liked the first half of the story more than the second.


Here's what I liked:

Tessa Bailey did a great job introducing us to the characters and setting up the story.

The small-town vibes. I've never read anything that takes place in wine country, so this was different for me, and it worked. I also enjoyed the side drama about saving local businesses.

The romance. During the first half, there was so much tension between these two, and I loved how different they are from each other. The second chance romance with grumpy x sunshine characters was fun, sweet, and often clashed. But in the end, they were able to bring out the best in each other.

Julian. He was such an interesting character. He's a history professor at Stanford on a sabbatical to reevaluate his life. We learn that he has anxiety and suffers from panic attacks, and to feel in control, he develops a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder and keeps himself on a very strict schedule. I've never read a story with an MMC with these struggles, so I found it refreshing. Julian is also a secret cinnamon roll who falls hard for Haille, and his inner thoughts about her were steamy and sweet. She's chaotic and messy, everything that scares him and his orderly life, but by being around her, he forgets time and can relax. I loved his character development.


Here's what I didn't like:

Hailee. I loved her sunshine vibes and chaotic nature, but she was incredibly immature. First off, she has been pining after and cyber-stalking Julian for 15 years. She would watch his lecture videos online because she was that obsessed. Also, she's a virgin at the age of 29. I'm not saying that's good or bad, I was just shocked. And her reasoning for not having sexual relationships in the past is that no one has ever compared to Julian, which is psycho behavior since she didn't really know him at all to begin with. Honestly, if this wasn't a rom-com things could have quickly turned into a psychological thriller story.

The secret admirer letters. I didn't really understand their purpose in the story. She writes them AFTER they have their first sexual encounter. So at this point, there is an already established connection, so why write the letters now? Wouldn't it have made more sense if she wrote them before meeting him again? I also think secret admirer letters are creepy, so that didn't help.

Julian's dirty talk. Not only was I not a fan of the actual dirty talk, but it seemed completely out of place with his character. He is a super reserved, serious, straight-laced guy but all of a sudden he's saying things like,

"You've been doing such bad things to my d*ck, sweetheart. Just bouncing with those curls in your tight shorts, not a care in the world, huh? Well, you've got to deal with me now. You've got to let those beautiful t*ts out and deal with me."

OR

"Your curves shake when I'm packing this thing tight. I know it for a fact now. The parts you're nervous to show me are actually what make me hard, Haille."

OR

"You're going to get so comfortable with me looking and touching and tasting every part of your naked body that you'll learn to bend over with your butt in the air, just like this, and ask me to eat it whole."

OMG WHAT?! (lol) EW, NO TO ALL OF THIS! Also, he has a dirty knee fetish which I'm assuming is because Haille is a gardener. But again, Julian's character did not match up with his persona during sexual encounters.


The conflict at the end. I just felt it was weak/pointless. Using the letters to create an issue with his anxiety isn't something I expected, and it just didn't work.

The spice! As with all Tessa Bailey, this was a spicy ride. The story follows Hallie, a gardener in a small town in Napa Valley, and Julian, the prodigal son vineyard family. Hallie and Julian went to high school together and Hallie has harbored feelings for him ever since but Julian doesn't remember her. Julian has anxiety issues and deals with them by strictly controlling himself and his time, which contrasts wildly with Hallie's unstructured approach to life. They reconnect when Julian's mother hires Hallie to garden a the guesthouse where Julian is staying; then after a drunken night, Hallie starts writing secret admirer letters to Julian. The two fall for each other both in person and via their letters.

Things I liked: The chemistry, the small town setting, the spice, a bigger female protagonist.
Things I didn't like: Some hints of not so great gender dynamics, some whiffs of manic pixie dream girl

Always a sucker for a steamy Tessa Bailey number. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.