OK, I’ll say it-Tessa Bailey has really missed the mark with me lately. I became familiar with her Fix her up series 3 years ago and found her spicy brand of romance fun, and very -titillating:). The last 3 books-My Killer Vacation, Happen-stance and now Secretly Yours, have completely missed the mark.
Secretly Yours is about Hallie, a scatterbrained gardener who has been holding a torch for Professor and Vine heir, Julian Vos since Hugh school.
They meet as adults as she is hired to beautify his property with her unique manner of scattering flowers “where it feels right.” Hallie’s haphazard nature is the opposite of staid Julian’s-but he falls in love nonetheless. What follows is absurd, confusing, and totally unengaging. I just found I could care less about their inevitable coupling.
I’m hoping Bailey gets back to better storytelling and better developed characters soon.

If there's two things Tessa Bailey absolutely nails, it's character development and finding a way to naturally guide two total opposites into falling in love with each other.

Secretly Yours is endearing and adorable. It's a second-chance romance about an upbeat, well-intentioned but scattered gardener/floral artist trying to preserve the last memories of her recently passed grandmother in the form of a struggling small wine shop and a stoic, rigid and secretly highly-anxious college professor trying to use the last scraps of his sanity to write his debut novel. Basically, it's sunshine vs. grump, carefree and unintentionally reckless vs. strict schedules and meticulous planning, mysterious love letters, strained family dynamics and a lot of wine. Seriously. You'll be craving a glass or three while reading this.

To be completely honest, it's kind of boring and a meh follow-up to Bailey's Bellinger Sisters series that catapulted her to mainstream fame, but I still loved it. I love an uptight, nerdy MMC and a sweet, naive FMC with good intentions, even if she is very immature in the beginning. This is one of those romances where the temptation to DNF will be strong but the ending is worth it.

There's a refreshing representation of anxiety (in the MMC no less, a kind of rarity in romances) and undiagnosed ADHD. The conflict is handled well, especially in the third act. Plus, it's pretty steamy. That's always a huge plus.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyage and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Pub date: February 7, 2023

I recently had the pleasure of reading "Secretly Yours" by Tessa Bailey and was thoroughly impressed with the steamy romance and well-developed characters. The story follows main characters Lily and Tyler as they navigate their unexpected attraction and the complications that arise from their different social standings.

Bailey's writing is sultry and engaging, and the chemistry between Lily and Tyler is off the charts. The character development is excellent and I found myself fully invested in their relationship. The supporting characters are equally well-written and add depth to the story.

One of the standout aspects of "Secretly Yours" is the way it tackles issues of class and social standing in a nuanced and thoughtful manner. The conflicts that arise between Lily and Tyler feel realistic and add depth to their relationship.

Overall, "Secretly Yours" is a steamy and well-written romance that I highly recommend. It easily earns a 4.5 out of 5 stars from me. As a fan of Tessa Bailey's books, I was not disappointed by this latest offering and am already looking forward to her next release.

Tessa Bailey writes a fun and wonderfully sweet romance. A few twists, turns, a drunk letter and a bad book. What could go wrong? It's a super fun read. I could not put it down and I see a binge read in my future.

This was not my favorite Tessa Bailey, but it was a cute read. I am excited for the sequel! A good concept.

RATING: 4.2/5 STARS

Tessa Bailey's books are like candy, and I thoroughly savored this one! SECRETLY YOURS had all of the elements that I love in romance - a relatable and endearing heroine, a kind and fiercely loving hero, and a host of lovely side characters. Julian and Hallie were so much fun to read about. Their story brought sweetness and spice both in equal measure. I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel!

I recently read Tessa Bailey's novel, Secretly Yours, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The characters of Hallie and Julian were particularly captivating and their romance was both steamy and heartwarming.

Hallie is a relatable and lovable protagonist who is struggling to balance her career and personal life. Julian is the perfect foil for her - a confident and successful businessman who is hiding a vulnerable side. The chemistry between the two characters is electric and their interactions are both hilarious and steamy.

Overall, Secretly Yours is a delightful and well-written romance novel that will leave you rooting for Hallie and Julian's happily ever after. If you're a fan of Tessa Bailey's writing or just looking for a feel-good romance novel, I highly recommend giving Secretly Yours a read!

Tessa Bailey is hit or miss for me (I liked It Happened One Summer but loathed Fix Her Up) and unfortunately this one was a miss. It felt like a bunch of random plot elements and character details were put in a hat and whatever got pulled out got thrown in the book.

Not my favorite Tessa Bailey book but still very sexy and funny. Definitely worth the read and perfect companion for Valentines Day.

Tessa Bailey has a way of writing male protagonists who simultaneously irritate me and entice me… I just noticed the sequel is available! I’m interested in reading more about Natalie.

On the surface, Hallie Welch and Julian Vos, are far from a match.
She doesn't have a schedule.
He schedules his days down to the minute.
She doesn't care about order; she makes decisions based on feelings.
He is a planner and likes things to align perfectly.

Despite their differences in how they live their lives, there is one thing they share in common, an attraction. And when they are constantly put near each other, that attraction becomes hard to fight.
Hallie chooses to express her feelings through "secret admirer" letters.
He chooses to express his feelings with his good hand. If you know what I mean.
But eventually that isn't enough for either of them.

I liked how Hallie got under Julian's skin, allowing him to loosen up and make silly decisions. Together, they are a good team in saving a local business, which I loved. And ultimately, Hallie encourages Julian to connect more with his family, something that is long overdue for all of them.

Although most of this book is sweet, the author doesn't skimp out on the heat. She definitely knows how to get the kindle smoking in a short amount of time. This book also introduces us to a fun community that I'm sure we'll get to know more about in book two, which features Julian's sister, Natalie. I'm excited to see how her life turns around in that one.

I wanted to like this book I really did but it was just not for me.
The way Julian talks about Hallie's body made me extremely uncomfortable and made it hard to get through.
I loved the plot behind all that though with the vineyard and the wine shop and honestly would have loved more of that.

Overall I just didn't vibe with this book but I can see why people would enjoy it.

Tessa Bailey does it again in this adorable and steamy rom-com. You can't help but fall in love with the tiny Napa town and the residents that reside in it.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC for this book and I loved it! Hallie and Julian are the love story I didn’t know I needed. The way they perfectly compliment and oppose each other is hilarious and heart warming. On top of being a perfect Tessa Bailey rom com, Secretly Yours also tackles grief and anxiety and just being human in such an unexpectedly beautiful way. As always, anything by Tessa is a 10/10 for me! Can’t wait to read August and Natalie’s story later this year!

Rarely does a character come about that I can identify with so incredibly much, nor a personal journey that inspires me as well. Hallie was such a lovable and personable character. Julian’s struggle with regret and anxiety was also interesting to follow, I would have loved to see it fleshed out a little more however, I don’t think that would have meshed well with a romcom.

Overall, definitely a favorite from Tessa Bailey.

Secretly Yours
#1 A Vine Mess
By Tessa Bailey
Pub Date February 7, 2023
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
A steamy new rom-com about a starchy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn. I love the sweet clash of personalities between Julian and Hallie. Napa is the perfect setting! A lot of good things to love about this book. The one thing that missed the mark for me was the secret admirer letters. Just didn’t make sense and was more of a side plot. Overall, this is a sweet romance. Perfect for a Valentine release date.

3 stars

Such a fun read! A high school crush, secret admirer letters and wine this is a can't go wrong book. Add in two people trying to figure out how to be the people they want to be .and I read it in one sitting.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I absolutely LOVED everything about this book. This is my first Tessa Bailey read and I don't plan to stop reading her work. The characters were believable, relatable, and the chemistry between them was phenomenal. No experiment will be exact on the first try, and that much is true for Hallie and Julian. I can't wait to start book two! A must read for fans of her work or for sexy, dramatic romance.

This has a bit of a slow start, but once I got to the 50% I made poor time management choices.

The premise turned out a lot less angsty than I was anticipating, for which I’m grateful. It felt like a VERY loose ode to You’ve Got Mail.

The way all of the characters are processing grief and growth in different ways was refreshing but also a little painful to read.

Looking forward to Natalie’s book.

If you want a light and feel good read then this is one for you. It started off a bit slow. There was a lot of talk about wineries and I felt slightly bored by all the wine shop talk, especially when the crux of the story had nothing to do with it. Once the main story with Hallie and Julian started, the story did pick up. I felt like there were a lot of extras added in that just felt out of left field.
All in all, if was cute, but ultimately forgettable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.