Not my favorite Tessa Bailey but fans of her will adore this one. I felt there was a bit too much instalove for my liking as the book started to simmer out once the couple got together initially, but overall it was a good read. I do enjoy the way Bailey varies up her settings and character types, so that gets extra points from me.

I love LOVE Tessa Bailey but......and unfortunately there is a but.... the romance in this book hinges on the idea that a 14 year old had a missed kiss with a senior boy. So from the start something wasn't sitting right with me. There is also a letter writing element in the middle of the book that seemed superfluous. The book was still enjoyable. Will I read other books in the series? Absolutely. Was this my favorite Bailey...no.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Bailey, and Avon for the ARC!

While I didn't love this one quite as much as It Happened One Summer, I did enjoy it. Hallie is a very go with the flow and chaotic to Julian's level-headedness and order. I felt like there wasn't a ton of build up of feelings on Julian's part which I think is why it felt a little inauthentic. I do love the grumpy guy vs sunshine girl trope (Hello, The Hating Game) so that provided some appeal.

Overall, I still liked it and will of course read the next one in the series.

First of a new series and a bit of a different male lead than this authors norm. Got some hints for the next in the series- and I’m sure we will get updates on this pair’s latest then too. Wine, friends and romance while mixing in some true to life mental health issues.

Tess Bailey is a must read author for me, and Secretly Yours did not disappoint! I loved the grumpy-sunshine interactions between Hailey and Julian and how they both grew through the time they were together. I can't wait to read the next book in this series, and will absolutely be buying this when it comes out.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

-curvy girl rep
-florist + ivy league professor
-opposites attact
-mental health rep
-dual pov
-grumpy/sunshine
-🌶🌶/5
-HEA
This book was a quick read. A small town vibe with winery scene, and when the love interest pines and the Mc is clueless?? *swoon* Tessa gives us another quirky,cute and independent FMC who's determined to finally tell her long time crush how she feels..
Its a heartfelt Rom com- that will have love laughing, swooning and falling in love with Hallie and Julian.

This sweet, funny romance novel is just so lovable. Julian, with his goal-setting system, and Hallie, with her wild spirit and 3 adorable pups. The nostalgia over Hallie’s grandmother and protection of a quiet little wine bar was just so endearing. This novel has heart and enjoyment. Julian’s uptightness and Hallie chaos somehow brought the two completely different characters together in such a commending way. The two most opposite people in the world, yet the chemistry is undeniable. Not to mention the cute supportive and lovable characters throughout the novel. This was an enjoyable read.

This was cute but not spectacular. The chemistry between Julian and Hallie was fantastic and their family drama/trauma was touching. Didn't care for the wine vineyard/town backdrop--not at all interesting to me. And the inevitable conflict wasn't severe enough to warrant the fallout. This also lacked the humor I expect from Bailey, but again, still cute and entertaining.

I struggled to get into this book. I love the author and will buy her books for our collection and promote her books to our patrons but this title wasn't a favorite for me.

It took me awhile to get into this book, but once I finally did, I enjoyed it. However, it did not come close to the Bellinger sisters books. I'll still pick up Bailey's books, but I didn't think this book was her best.

Overall, a cute read, but it felt like the characters were lacking any real emotional depth. The plot often felt a bit too forced at times.

I really wanted this to be a five-star read because I generally enjoy Tessa Bailey…but I guess occasionally she will miss the mark. Now, I enjoyed reading this book, it had all the high points we expect in a Bailey romance. The characters had chemistry and showed realistic character arcs. The book was sometimes sweet, sometimes scorching and often laugh-out-loud funny. Good times were had by all. However, overall this one just wasn’t as great as Bailey’s other books. For me, this issue lies in our fair protagonists. Hallie AND Julian really skated that line between “hot mess to which we can all relate” and “someone who would be genuinely awful to exist near until they got some therapy,” often falling into the latter classification. Granted, overcoming those issue features in the story, but often I just felt like the main characters leaned a little too heavily into their tropes. This is nitpicky and 100% subjective (I will always recommend Tessa Bailey!), but it did color the whole narrative for me.

I absolutely LOVE Tessa Bailey she is an insta buy for me! I sat down and read this book in less than 24 hours.

This wasn't quite as phenomenal as It Happened One Summer, but it was so incredibly close. I'm leaving it a 5 star, but in my book journal I gave it a 4.75. I wanted the secret admirer notes to be more of a pivotal part of the story, but it really just felt like a background subplot.

I absolutely love Julian's character and was so happy to see anxiety representation in his character. It is nice to see that vulnerability in a male character, and honestly no one does that better than Tessa Bailey. Of course everyone's anxiety reactions are different so some readers may not see Julian's anxiety response in their own. I happened to connect a lot with Julian's anxiety response, but I understand that won't be the case for all readers.

Hallie was a complete riot of a character. I loved every interaction with her from her petty "crimes" to her just absolute chaotic energy. She is the perfect foil for Julian and it keeps the story, and characters, balanced. The reader doesn't get lost in too much chaos from Hallie because the order that exists in Julian's POV keeps the reader focused.

I can't wait for the next book in this series! A huge thank you to NetGalley, Harper Voyager US, and Avon for the E-ARC.

This didn’t impress me! The writing was sloppier than her other books, and the story didn’t really hang together for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a digital review copy of "Secretly Yours" via NetGalley.

I think Tessa Bailey is a hit or miss author for me. I've read a couple of her other contemporary romances and had some mixed thoughts -- for me, the strong points of Bailey's writing are the humor and the interesting small town settings. What often disappoints is the pacing of the romantic relationships, and some of the contrived plot points. Two romantic tropes that I almost never enjoy reading: longtime crush and instalove, and "Secretly Yours" features both of those quite heavily, so it should come as no surprise that I didn't particularly care for the romance in this book. If you're a fan of Bailey's contemporary romances, like the Bellinger Sisters duology or the Hot & Hammered series, you'd probably find this book fits right in. I think my favorite Bailey book is still "It Happened One Summer", and it'll be difficult to top that one, but I'll still give any of her contemporary romances a try.

Gardener Hallie is sort of a hot mess: indecisive, disorganized, and lives life out loud with her three! dogs. Still grieving from the loss of her beloved grandmother Rebecca, which whom she spent many hours sipping wine at wine store/bar Corked, owned by her grandmother’s best friend, Hallie has made it a personal mission of sorts to take down Corked’s their slick new competitor, Uncorked. When she hears that a local vintner’s son, the nerd-hot guy she had a crush on–and almost had a moment with–in high school is back in town, she invents an excuse to do some landscaping for his rental. Now a professor on sabbatical back home to write a novel, Julian is Hallie’s opposite: in control, buttoned up, decisive… and hiding a lot of anxiety. His attraction to her chaos is instantaneous but he doesn’t remember her. She (drunkenly) writes him a secret admirer note one evening and leaves where he will find in on his morning jog. Mortified, she decides not to say anything, but of course he hopes it’s from her, even as he recognizes she is not his type. Or is she just what he needs?

This raunchy romp has several laugh out loud moments of making fun of Napa hipster culture and pranks. Characters could have come off as stereotypes or one dimensional (the ditz, the grandmotherly type, the bad-girl, the geek) but depth and nuance is added as the protagonists work through the various ways they think they have disappointed their loved ones.

Secret Admirer is also rich in multigenerational female relationships; Hallie bonds with Julian’s sister immediately upon meeting and maintains relationships with other local business women who are also larger than life.

The undercurrent of sexual tension, fantasies, and consummation is richly detailed; it turns out Julian is a talker (it surprises him, too). The narrative is delightfully, consensually filthy but it’s Julian’s ongoing desire to keep Hallie smiling that is the heart of the novel.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #SecretAdmirer from #NetGalley.

Tessa Bailey is the master writer in modern romance! Beautiful story! " Bumpier stories lead to better destinations" and "midnight transforms you back into a blank canvas like Cinderella". The story is about two people who manage stressors in their lives in polar opposite ways. The hero is a natural born caretaker with a heart of gold but struggles with anxiety as he manages through getting close and caring for people. The Heroine deals with her emotions by being carefree and not letting herself be tied down. Their bumpy story is so well told , steamy and sweet and overall an excellent read. Highly recommend!!

I loved the crush aspect of this novel but would have liked to see more emotional depth with both leads. Overall, it is a cute concept with nice spice.

How does she do it? How is she this amazing? I will devour anything this woman writes, but this one was the cream of the crop! I loved all the body positivity and all of these amazing characters. I loved Hallie’s entire personality and how much she enjoyed rattling Julian’s cage! Everything about this book was chefs kiss!

Tessa Bailey has become an automatic buy author. Even though her covers look like they'd be cute little kissy books they are anything but that! This book was full of Bailey's humor and angst and the spice did not disappoint!