I love Tessa Bailey, always and forever. I didn't love the first book in this series, but I really think this is what she does best!

The tropes. The romantic tension. The steaminess. Tessa gives it all to us in Unfortunately Yours. I loved this series from her. The characters all felt nuanced and believable and their backstories made them both connectable and approachable. And the CAT! We love a cat featured in a book. These two made me smile and giggle and fall in love with their love.

Unfortunately Yours is the second book in the Vine Mess Series. It follows the story of Natalie (Julien's sister from book 1) and August. If you read the first book, you might remember Natalie and August's initial meeting and it wasn't a great look for either of them, really. He came on too strong and she took offense. There was a scene...a mess...one that made an impression on the people of Napa Valley. Fast forward a few months and they're married?! It seemed unbelievable, based on their last public interaction but they quickly show the town that they're serious...or seem to be. From behind the scenes, we get to see the machinations that bring them together. We get to see their initial plotting and planning and they whys. We also get to see how madly in love they are. As much as they resist it, they cannot seem to make the fake marriage fake.

While the vast majority of this novel focuses on their antagonist relationship, there's a nice bit of space devoted how they're made--what makes them who they are and why they are. We get to see them put their armor down and begin to trust each other, to tell their stories, and to find the person they can trust to be there. We get to see Natalie open up and flourish and we get to see August become even more of who we've come to love--a huge teddy bear: sweet, kind, loving, and protective.

Really loved this one. Loved the evolution of them as individuals but especially loved to see their evolution as partners.

Thank you @avonbooks @netgalley for my review copy!

📖Natalie is going through a rough patch in her life. She’s lost everything, but she’s finally ready to try and get her life back on track. The only problem is she needs funds to do it. When she suggests a marriage of convenience to a man she can’t stand, in order to claim her trust fund, they both realize there’s a fine line between hate and love.

💭I loved this book even more than the first one. My favorite was the banter between Natalie and August. I loved their back and forth and I thought they had really good chemistry. Natalie got on my nerves a little bit with her insecurities, but overall I enjoyed the storyline. These books are fun if you’re looking for some entertaining summer reads.

📚Read this if you like…
Enemies to lovers
Marriage of convenience
Fun banter
Opposites attract
Romcoms
Open door romances

✍️How I rated other books by this author:
It Happened One Summer- 5⭐️
Hook, Line, and Sinker- 4⭐️
Secretly Yours- 4⭐️
Window Shopping- 3⭐️
Fix Her Up- 3⭐️

Tessa Bailey has this amazing ability to draw a reader into any story she writes. With Unfortunately Yours we learn about the very thin line between love and hate.


August and Natalie are two people you want to grab a hold of and shake just so you can get some sense knocked into them. The two have so much chemistry it’s insane but yet they drive each other crazier than anyone else possibly could. Hence that fine line. Natalie has returned home, licking her wings a bit trying to figure out what is going on with her life and career. August has made a promise but yet he has no idea what he’s doing to be able to fulfill it. Natalie comes well with an amazing plan that could help them both, but yet neither one of them realized that they actually really liked each other.

Tessa Bailey not only gives us a story that we can sync into, but she gives us one that we will enjoy and remember after reading. Natalie and August are absolutely perfect for each other but the way they go about finding that out is what makes the story.

Natalie is a former Wall Street financier who ran home to Napa with her tail between her legs to lick her wounds and regroup on the shape of her family's vineyard. August is the ex Navy SEAL who started a vineyard to honor his fallen best friend, but it's absolutely terrible at it. When he can't get a loan, and she can't get her trust find released, she makes a deal with the devil and they embark on a fake marriage that will benefit them both. But what happens if they start to catch feelings?

This book is steamy as Hell. I have heard good things about Tessa Bailey, but haven't been able to read her until now and holy crap. In most romance novels, there's a certain amount of fade to black action that happens. This book does not shy away from anything at all. Once these enemies start turning to lovers, the scenes get very "full speed ahead." I think that while they were well written, it may have been a little too much, which is why I knocked it down a star. I'm going to try some of her other work (I've got one in my TBR stack) and I'll see if she's the right author for me or not.

The story itself is a good one, and I appreciated the fact that, for the most part, these two were very honest with each other about their motives and feelings about most situations set throughout. They actually acted like adults, instead of emotional-growth-stunted teenagers in adults' bodies. That was a nice change from some of the other books I've read in recent years.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC! Let me say that this was the perfect pairing to Secretly Yours! This duo is the perfect sweet and spicy combination and I do think I preferred Unfortunately Yours overall. I loved the dynamic and chemistry between August and Natalie, the prank wars, the banter, it was great! I would’ve loved to see more of the wine aspect, two wineries and Napa Valley, where were the fun wine making antics!? I also would’ve loved a deeper dive into the characters, we had a lot to work with but at a somewhat surface level. I’d read more books revolving around these characters for sure!
3.5 stars!

I love the Vos family and Tessa Bailey. We continue the story of the vineyard with two not so friendly adversaries helping each other out. Of course, along the way, they realize that maybe they like each other a bit more than they first thought. Continue the growth and learning of the Vos family, with two more that learn to accept who they are, and be better for it!

I loved this book it was such a good fun read was completely hooked from the first page and couldn't put it down

This was my first Tessa Bailey book and it did not disappoint! I will definitely be checking out more of her work! I adored this story! I fell in love with both of the MCs and their struggles. I loved how devoted August was to Natalie and how, despite their bickering, they always came back to each other. I liked the side characters and how they added to the story in their own way. I laughed out loud MANY times because it was hilarious! It was a delightful romance with some spicy moments. Ms. Bailey knows how write the spice.

Natalie returns home after losing her job and her fiance. After taking some time to get over her losses, she is ready to get back in the game of finance. She has a plan to return to New York and start a new business with her partner, but she needs money. She has a trust fund, but it will not be released to her unless she is married.

August owns a vineyard, but he has no idea what he is doing. He wants to do his late best friend proud, but his wine sucks. He cannot get a small business loan to improve his situation, so he is about to give up and head home.

Natalie and August do not get along. She hates him and he...well he dreams about her, but knows it will get him nowhere. They decide to fake a marriage in order for both of them to get what they want. How hard can it be? Get married, make everyone believe it is real, live together for a few weeks, and then go their separate ways. Easy, right? Except they did not count on their undeniable, explosive attraction.

I loved this just as much or even more than Secretly Yours. I found this one had a little bit more of an in-depth plot and character development than Secretly Yours and I really loved Natalie and August. They both added a lot to the Vine Mess world and just seeing both of their struggles and how they were able to lean on each other and manage to find a way to embrace their feelings was great. I love the marriage of convenience trope and this did it for me, 10/10 execute of it. Tessa Bailey does not disappoint and this was again just another banger (pun intended). The smut did not disappoint

I really liked this book - even better than the first one in the series. I loved the complex personal issues each was working through (felt true and not rushed), but also loved how quickly August opened up and they fell for each other - wasn't too slow of a burn!

I have loved so many of Tessa Bailey’s previous books but there’s something about this series that isn’t hitting the mark quite right for me.

While I do like Unfortunately Yours *significantly* better than Secretly Yours, it still took me quite a while to read. I love the dynamic between Natalie and August, especially all the angst and pent-up sexual tension between the two. Both of them are really struggling with past experiences while trying to navigate an unfamiliar situation in forced proximity.

I wouldn’t say there’s anything I strongly dislike about this book. But something in the vibe of the book is off for me. Maybe it’s Natalie’s reluctance to admit her true feelings even in her own thoughts? Maybe it’s the way they walk on eggshells around each other despite being insanely attracted to each other but then kinda sorta getting together but then making it even more weird afterwards?

I’m not quite sure but if there are more books to come in this series, I don’t think I’ll read them.

Features:
* Enemies to lovers
* Marriage of convenience
* Navy SEAL veteran
* Forced proximity
* Small town

Content warnings:
* PTSD panic attack (on page)
* Loss of a close friend
* Alcohol overconsumption / reliance on alcohol

Thank you to Avon Publishing, Tessa Bailey, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an early copy of this book!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

This book was yet another banger from the queen herself, Tessa Bailey. These characters were likeable yet flawed, and the banter between them was absolutely phenomenal. Bailey's dialogue is always on point, and the story flowed so smoothly that I found myself reading for much longer than I planned to each day. I also really appreciated how Bailey didn't let any miscommunication or dumb conflicts interfere. Those are tropes so often overused in romance, and I really dislike them because of how easily they can be resolved. But these two were aware of their feelings and expressed them to each other like actual adults. It was nice to get an epilogue several years later with the couple from the first book in the series too.

Natalie needs to get married in order to access her trust fund and get back to her life in NY. When August offers, she’s hesitant. Their first encounter had been promising, but she ended the evening throwing wine in his face. It seemed like a match made in hell, not heaven. But if she gives him a chance, maybe they can both get what they need out of this marriage of convenience.

The book jumped in quickly, and I had to remind myself of what had happened between Natalie and August in Secretly Yours. But once my confusion cleared, everything got right on track. There was no slow intro to the characters, but I found myself connecting to them quickly. August is a big golden retriever, and he wants nothing more than to make Natalie happy. Natalie struggles with confidence, but in a believable way based on her backstory.

As usual, Tessa Bailey does not disappoint with the spice! August’s dirty talk was great, and Natalie wasn’t afraid to ask for what she wanted either.

Overall this one gets 4 stars from me. I think I liked Secretly Yours better, but this one was still really enjoyable!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an advanced copy of this ebook!

I loved this book so much more than the first one in the series. This book follows Natalie who must get married in order to get access to her trust fund and decides August will be the one as he needs a loan. I just read Grayson’s Vow so this book was very similar to that one when it came to the plot. I enjoyed the story and the way Bailey wrote it. The pacing was perfect and I loved exploring Napa a bit more. This book did have a lot of questions unfulfilled like what happened with August’s winery? How did Natalie partake in the winery? Her drinking problem? and more. This book was about to get full stars but I felt some questions weren’t answered which I wish were. Another thing was that the pov shift was confusing at times and not as smooth compared to the other books.

This book explores both Natalie and August. Natalie is not loved the way she wants to be and wants to make everyone proud. She didn’t have much of a development as I wished she did but I enjoyed her story. August is the MMC and I absolutely loved him. He’s a ex navy seal trying to get his winery running. I liked his story and seeing his perspective as he cared so much for Natalie. Both characters were greatly written but I wish there was more development. The side characters mainly consisted on Julian and Hallie and I loved seeing them in the book. The romance is not really enemies to lovers but instead he fell first, marriage of convenience, small town, forced proximity with lots of bantering and steamy scenes.

The ending was well done and I loved the epilogue. It was a great closure to the series which I had a great time reading and exploring. I did wish some things differently but of course that’s just my opinion. I love Tessa Bailey’s books and would keep on reading them. I can’t wait to check out Wreck the Halls as it sounds so good.

I would like to share my thoughts on "Unfortunately Yours" by Tessa Bailey, and I will do my best to express my disappointment while avoiding spoilers. Regrettably, this book fell short of my expectations, resulting in a significant loss of interest and making it difficult for me to finish. However, I made a personal commitment to myself not to abandon books without finishing them, which kept me going.

The story revolves around August and Natalie, who enter into a marriage of convenience with Natalie hoping to access her trust fund and August seeking another chance for his bank loan approval.

In my opinion, the book could have been significantly shorter for two reasons. First, there were numerous explicit scenes that made me question the boundary between romance and pornography. Second, the main conflict was resolved too early in the story, leaving the remaining pages filled with minor subplots that didn't add much value to "Unfortunately Yours."

I was disappointed because I had come across several positive reviews of Tessa Bailey's works. I understand that every author may have weaker works among their successful books, and I wondered if "Unfortunately Yours" might fall into that category for Tessa Bailey.

Natalie's character had the potential to make this story memorable, but unfortunately, it felt overshadowed by August's behavior, which often came across as cringeworthy, focusing heavily on his desire for Natalie and lacking substantial conversations that didn't involve sex. As a result, August fell short of being a strong male character and came across more like a pervert in a teddy bear fleece pajama.

While there were some positive aspects in this novel that could have made it a great read, I felt that Tessa Bailey missed the opportunity to fully utilize them, prioritizing spicy and explicit content over a solid plotline. Will I give another Tessa Bailey novel a chance in the future? Yes, I am open to exploring her other works, as I believe "Unfortunately Yours" may simply be a bump in the road.

A princess, a Navy Seal, a maniac cat, and a vineyard that is one person’s dream and the other person’s hell. Natalie and August were probably made for each other even though all their conversations ended in an argument, until they didn’t.

Natalie Vos had me spitting mad through most of this story. I understood why she was like she was but, c’mon, cut a guy a break will ya. Not everything is about you or the wine bottle, princess. And, August couldn’t get out of his own way. But, he was hysterical and had me laughing my way through the story.

I loved how they both fought their attraction until it was just to much for them to deny. August didn’t deny it much but Natalie sure did. Their barbs and sarcastic remarks were just spot on between the two of them. But, the wedding took the cake … I honestly feel like it was beginning of them facing all their feelings. But, sarcasm aside, they both stuck up for each other. August had a hard time letting Natalie in but, when he realized he was treating her just like the rest of her family, he did everything in his power to make her feel wanted and loved. He was undeniably a hero in the true send of the word.

Understanding where both Natalie and August were coming from was a big bonus in this story. August’s fear of letting his best friend down and Natalie’s feelings of being not seen or wanted were totally justified.

Tessa Bailey wrote and fun and emotional story that gave me the feels. I’ll never tire of reading her RomCom’s.

I was hesitant going into this one because Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey was a let down, if I’m being honest. But Unfortunately Yours was the best kind of redemption! I had so much fun with the marriage of convenience - I’m always a sucker when a marriage happens for outside benefits but our main characters fall in love despite being so stubborn. Also the dirty talk in this was so much fun! Shout out to the audio from my local library for getting me to the finish line.

Tessa Bailey can whip out books like crazy and they are all steamy, good reads that leave you longing for her next books! Her characters are relatable and each story makes you feel like you could be a part of it! I always enjoy a good Tessa Bailey read, no matter the characters.

Natalie has found herself in the midst of a family winery and not on her own accord. When her brother and his girlfriend get on Natalie's nerves with their escapades, Natalie is determined to get her trust fund money quickly. There are some stipulations that Natalie has to meet though in order for her to be able to get her money and one of them is to get married. Natalie thinks these stipulations are outdated and begs her mom to try to help her get them changed. When Natalie's dad left them, her mom has made a vow to not talk to him for the way her left. Natalie decides that she is going to have to make her own plan up in order to be able to get her money.

August has recently gotten out of the military and vowed to open up a winery for his buddy Sam that was KIA. The only problem with the winery being successful, August can't make wine to save his life. August has finally come to the realization that the wine business is not for him and resigned to shut down his winery. When Natalie comes to him with a proposal for her to get her money and a way for August to get the money he needs for his business, he is on board immediately.

August has always had a thing for Natalie but the way that they banter with each other and cut each other down, you would not even think they could stand to be in the same room as each other. So, when Natalie proposes that they get married so she can get her money and he can use her name to get a small business loan, you begin to wonder how in the world this is going to work out for them. The sparks quickly begin to fly between them though. Let's just say that the bathroom is not the only thing that is steamy when these two get together.

I know you will enjoy the steamy back and forth with Natalie and August as much as I did. This book has a little of everything that romance readers look for,. Sit back and enjoy this steamy, romantic read that will leave you longing for more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.