I really enjoyed the chemistry between August and Natalie. Their meet cute, their mutual beneficial arrangement. Natalie is back home & needs to be married in order to collect her trust fund.
August is a struggling vintner. Their mutual attraction is revealed pretty early in the book- earlier for August than it was for Natalie (at least that she'd admit).
I liked both of these characters. There was a misunderstanding late in the book, that I found understandable & didn't mind at all.
The steam is about par with Tessa's other books. August is described as a large man. Natalie is attracted to his looks, but is leery of his intentions. August is very much attracted to Natalie and tires to win over Natalie, in spite of their arrangement.
The scene transitions were a little sudden for me, but it kept me very interested.
I prefer 1st person POV in contemporary romance. but I got used to this story telling.

Natalie Vos has returned home to St. Helena after losing both her finance job and fiancé in New York City. August Cates, a retired SEAL, moved to St. Helena to open a winery that honors the memory of his best friend Sam. But August knows nothing about wine and needs a loan to improve his craft. Natalie needs her trust fund money to go back to the world of finance. With a marriage of convenience, both of their problems can be fixed. But there’s one problem… they can’t stand each other. Well, Natalie can’t stand August. August on the other hand, has been falling for Natalie since they met.

Read this if you like:
🍇 Marriage of convenience
🍇 Dual POVs
🍇 He Falls First
🍇 Witter banter
🍇 Enemies to Lovers
🍇 SPICE 🌶🌶🌶

I’m a sucker for witty banter and I loved August & Natalie’s banter. Also, “Enemies to Lovers” is so much better when the guy falls first. 😍 August Cates is just precious. ❤️ Tessa Bailey books are usually a hit or miss for me. I have to really love the characters for the spice to work, and I really loved the characters in this one! August Cates. SWOON. I enjoyed this one even more than “Secretly Yours.”

This is Book 2 in the “A Vine Mess” series, but it can be read as a standalone.

In true Tessa fashion, this book was steamy and a fast read! Bit of a slower burn, but it didn't take away from the plot. Now I just need to head to Napa and find a winery, meet someone who needs a marriage of convenience and have him fall in love with me. A girl can dream..

Normally I’m not into the marriage of convenience trope, but Tessa Bailey completely changed my mind with this book. While I really enjoyed the FMC, August, the MMC in Unfortunately, Yours was the star of the book. He’s the definition of a grump on the outside who actually a softie, and his love for Natalie and his best friend Sam stole my heart. Don’t even mention the adorable insight we get into the couples life in the epilogue of the book. This book was an absolute joy to read and I highly recommend it.


Now, excuse me while I go re read some *spicy* scenes that I strongly believe should be in a how to manual somewhere.

AHHH! Absolutely obsessed. I have loved every other book by Tessa Bailey, and this one does not disappoint. Tessa seriously is a queen, and this is the sweetest rom-com with some major spice!

Natalie and August's enemies to lovers relationship is everything you didn't know you needed. From fake marriages to steamy chemistry to falling in love, you'll enjoy following along with the characters and their development.

This book is filled with intimate/raw moments, sass, and major sexual chemistry. The steam in this book is spot on!! I could not put down this book, it had my full attention. This book will have you cheesing, giggles, and smiling like crazy.

August will become your newest crush - SEAL on the outside total golden retriever on the inside. He is the definition of a *catch*. Natalie is a badass who deserves to be truly seen and loved. The ending of the book made my heart SO happy!

10/10 recommend.

Tessa write the BEST couples and she crushed it, yet again. I am team Natalie and August, all day everyday.

I really really enjoyed this book!! August is one of my favorite Tessa Bailey mmc’s I’ve read so far! He was the sweetest and I loved how much he communicated with Natalie. She was so grumpy and he was the perfect match to her. The two characters had the best banter, spice and communication!! I really really loved this book and am so thankful to have received an arc!

Tessa is as Tessa does - fabulous writing, solid a storyline, fun banter, characters you absolutely love! She knows how to deliver and she does it again In Unfortunately Yours.

I am absolutely obsessed with Tessa Bailey. I swear every book just gets better and better. August and Natalie are two of my absolute favorite characters I have ever read. This story is a marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers trope. As Taylor Swift said, “Hell was the journey but it brought me Heaven.” - Invisible String. You never really consider how much just telling someone what you’re thinking or feeling can absolute change a situation for the better. Being honest and transparent, you may be on the same page and not even know. The ending of this story really showed that. I would highly recommend if you’re looking for your next romance, but be sure to start with book one! (You don’t have to read them in order but it’s recommended and better that way hehe)

After reading this book i had to go and find the first book in this series because i liked this book a lot. it was all that and everything i wanted in a book.

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!

A "marriage of convenience" trope is hard to come by in contemporary romance... after all, this isn't regency era England, right? But Tessa Bailey makes it work with her wine country romance! I was into the first book in this series, and I was totally here for #2. Our leads had great banter, and it was a great time (as long as you didn't mind suspending reality for a little bit).

Tessa Bailey never misses! I loved this book and wish I could go back and read it again for the first time. Unfortunately Yours follows Natalie and August as they work their way through a marriage of convenience as they fight their growing attraction. August is loyal, honest, caring, kind, and protective. He honors is late friend by building his friend's dream and is also a major teddy bear when it comes to Natalie. Natalie is feisty, witty, and hardworking. Her struggle to feel worthy hit me right in the heart and made her 100% relatable. Watching both of them go through their struggles and heal together felt so heartwarming. All in all, this was another amazing read by Tessa Bailey.

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey is a marriage of convenience, which follows ex-seal August Cates and Natalie Vos

The banter, spice, and romance between August and Nat were amazing. But that was to be expected because it’s Tessa Bailey.

I thought it was wholesome that August had a ring lying around just for Natalie. August was such a romantic at heart, because of his intense love for Natalie and his willingness to go to any lengths for her.

Even said, August did have his frustrating moments since some of the things he would say, especially to Natalie, would be rude asf.

All in all, Tessa will always have a way with words and writing because everything about this was entertaining.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and to the author Tessa Bailey, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

“Unfortunately Yours” by Tessa Bailey

Natalie Vos has lost her job and her fiancé, in that order, and she has no choice but to head back home to Napa where her family is practically royalty in the wine business. Luckily for her, Natalie loves wine…drinking it, that is. What she doesn’t love is living back home with her mom who scrutinizes her every move, and her brother who has recently met the love of his life and is doing absolutely nothing to keep the PDA down to a non-nauseating level.
Natalie needs to get her hands on her trust fund so she can get herself back on her feet but there are a few terms she needs to meet first, including getting married. Remember that earlier problem with the fiancé?
Enter August Cates, the incredibly handsome though equally annoying local (failing) vineyard owner that Natalie loves to hate. He needs a business loan from the same man that Natalie needs to convince to give her access to her trust fund and she knows her family name is enough to give him some backing. Natalie has hit her absolute lowest and when she thinks she’s completely run out of options she decides to propose to August. The only problem, okay, one of many problems, is that August and Natalie can barely stomach being in the same room as each other, much less get married and convince the entire town that they’re head over heels in love.
Despite the fact that this is just a quickie marriage, it still needs to seem legitimate or they’ll both be turned down for what they need. But maybe what they really need is each other. The attraction between the two begins to reach unbearable levels but neither of them is in this for love and they’ll do everything in their power to stick to the terms of the deal. Tessa Bailey has done it again and “Unfortunately Yours” is the enemy-turned lovers book you need to add to your summer reading list.

Reviewed by Abbey Peralta for Suspense Magazine

Tessa Bailey has such a gift. Compelling romance after compelling romance, her characters never lose that charming energy that they all have by the end of her novels. So enjoyable and soooooo steamy.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copies. All thoughts are my own.

After the first book in this series I was really looking forward to seeing August and Natalie's story. Thankfully, they did not disappoint.

I love marriage of convenience books and this one nailed it. August Cates is swoon worthy. I loved his need to protect Natalie even when he thought she hated him. His story about why he has taken over a winery will break your heart and he is just such a softy in a big, burly package. I felt like Natalie was a little hit or miss. I felt she comes across a little too prickly in the beginning but once you start realizing that is behind that and see behind her walls you start to understand what makes her character who she is.

This book has all the hallmarks of a good Tessa book. It is steamy and the banter is excellent.

Thank you to the publisher for an EARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

1 Star

I feel really terrible & am probably in the minority but I just did not like this book. I tried so hard and wanted to love it so badly because the fake marriage trope is usually my favorite!

I have heard so many readers on social media who rave about Tessa Bailey, so I think she’s worth giving a shot if you are a RomCom lover. I think sadly, she just isn’t for me.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager & Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
TW: Please Check
Spice: Open Door
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️[4/5]
*Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing a free e-book in exchange for an honest review*

Plot:
Natalie Vos returned to her family’s vineyard after losing her job and fiancé within the blink of an eye. After a few months of self-pity, she was ready to march back to New York with her head held high and show everyone who doubted her how wrong they were about her. There was only one problem, she needed access to her trust fund. Unfortunately for her, the terms for her to gain access required her to be employed and married of which she was nowhere near achieving. She quickly realized that August’s vineyard was failing, and his funds had run dry. She got the brilliant idea of proposing the idea of a sham marriage to him. They would both get the financial freedom they both desperately needed. The only problem? Will they survive it?

Thoughts:
This book made me realize how much I truly enjoy the marriage of convenience trope especially when attached to the rivals to lovers trope. I have to say that I went into this book slightly apprehensively since “Secretly Yours” was not one of my favorite Tessa Bailey books, but WOW she did not disappoint!

Tessa’s writing did not disappoint, it was funny, witty, creative, and engaging! I laughed so much while reading this! Natalie Vos is my favorite character from this series and her entire personality is just it for me. One of the things that I loved about this book was that under the wit and humor lay real traumas and issues for this character and I thoroughly enjoyed the character development. It was a cute romance on the surface with a deeper layer to it if you chose to go diving for it.

I do not want to say much about August as to not spoil anything, but I will say I love him and the chemistry between August and Natalie had me giggling and kicking my feet frantically like a giddy school girl. His golden retriever personality was just too adorable to not fall in love with.

If you are looking for a summer book, I highly recommend this one.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, sweet, steamy and kept me reading. This book can be read as a standalone story, though it was book 2 in the Vine Mess series. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books in this series as well as other books by this author.

Dnf 38%
It could be that i just got done reading an epic fantasy but this book is not doing it for me right now.
No character growth, the world isn't sticking out to me, dialogue isnt entertaining. I was even zoned out during the shower scene. It felt like the characters were wanting to grow but their egos are disgustingly high. Something about the back stories for the MC's...i just didn't care. This book is heavily centered around marriage of convenience *sigh*..i really could not care about the marriage. I think i gotta care about the marriage before I read anymore. The whole book is based on marriage and the things that come with it or after it. ( Trying not to spoil stuff ). Im normally a huge fan of marriage of convenience tropes but man...I dont think this book is for me right now. Maybe ill come back to it another time.