Tessa Bailey always delivers on a quick, spicy read, but sometimes the dialogue is a little cringey. This was no exception. The story follows Natalie, a Napa winemaking heiress who needs to marry someone to unlock her trust fund, and August, a terrible winemaker who can't make wine. The two hate each other (oR dO tHeY?) but agree to marry so Natalie can get her trust fund, and so August can get a small business loan. As these things have a way of happening, they start to fall in love.

Things I liked: the cat, the setting, the spice.

Things I didn't like: the dialogue, especially August's, is just too much sometimes.

All in all, still a fun read, and one I'd recommend to any fan of steamy romance novels.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon Books, and Tessa Bailey for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! This is an excellent romance book and is even better than the first one. It follows Natalie Vos and August as they come to an agreement that will help them both (marriage of convenience anyone?)

It’s romantic, spicy, and sweet, like Tessa Bailey’s books usually are! It features vineyards, finding out who you are, lots of fun tropes, a cute cat, and more to make it the perfect summer read. Be sure to pick this one up!

In this follow-up to Bailey's "Secretly Yours", we get a better look at Natalie Vos. The exact opposite of her professor brother, Natalie has returned to Napa to recover after losing her job, fiance, and Manhattan apartment with one catastrophic business decision. when she discovers that her trust fund is tied to certain terms, Natalie must find a way to bankroll her new start-up. She refuses to stoop so low as to marry just for money. Right? Enter August Cates. Former Navy seal, current (horrendous) winemaker, and definite pain in her ass. After yet another failed wine competition, August is ready to throw in the towel. He has no money left to spend on his best friend's pipe dream and he's fully aware he's not good at it anyway. Is a marriage of convenience just what both these two need?

Filled with humor, snark, and all the smut we expect from Tessa Bailey, "Unfortunately Yours" is one of my favorite reads so far this year. August is the perfect mix of golden retriever and bad boy, with Natalie being a stormcloud that just needs a little sunshine. Bailey's hit another 5 stars with the second book in the :Vine Mess" series and I can't wait to see what comes next.

I feel like this started with me missing out on an inside joke. I like the concept of this a lot and enjoyed the growth of each character, but it was hard for me to get into. I wish we would have gotten some back story to understand why they had such a connection from the get go

Tessa Bailey's books are neither hits nor misses for me. I would die for her steamy, spicy rom-com, or I would die of boredom. Unfortunately, I was kind of in between with her newest book, Unfortunately Yours.

Unfortunately Yours started off rocky with me. I knew we were going to be the main characters in this book since I read the previous book in the series. So I already knew that I would have mixed feelings about the main character, but I was hoping that my mind would change. Unfortunately, my mind didn’t change about the main character, Natalie. She was a bit too messy and mean throughout the book. I truly tried to understand her, but I could not get her reasoning.

And from there, it went downward. I truly don’t understand why they want to be with each other. They were so mean to each other. That’s not a rom-com I want to read. I've never been a fan of the bully romance trope. It's not my thing; I won’t read it. And unfortunately, I was not warned about it.

The only thing that this book has going for it is the spicy scenes between them. They are not too spicy, but they give a bit of a kick to the reading. You know what they say about people who hate each other? The more fire and chemistry they have for each other.

In the second installment of the Vine Mess series, we again meet Natalie Vos and August Cates. Natalie, despite being born into the esteemed Vos winery family, leads a life far from the idyllic existence many assume. After losing both her job and her fiancé, Natalie finds herself reluctantly returning to her dysfunctional childhood home. While she drowns her sorrows in wine, she sets her sights on returning to New York City to establish her own firm on Wall Street. However, an outdated stipulation in her trust fund presents a major obstacle—Natalie must be married to access the funds.

August, on the other hand, has recently opened a winery despite his lack of expertise in winemaking—a fact evident to anyone who tastes his creations. He contemplates giving up, recognizing that winemaking is not his true calling. August, a former Navy SEAL, embarked on this venture as a tribute to his fallen comrade, Sam, whose dream was to own a winery after leaving the SEALs. Now facing financial troubles, with the winery on the brink of failure and loan applications falling through, August is desperate for a solution.

Could a fake marriage be the answer to their financial dilemmas? Despite their inability to get along, the boundaries should be easy to maintain, right? Or will the undeniable attraction between them complicate matters?

Personally, I found Unfortunately Yours to be a more enjoyable read than Secretly Yours; however I am glad I read Secretly Yours first since it gives us a lot of insight into the Vos family. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Publishing for a chance to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars

I loved this some much! Tessa bailey has done it again. I loved Natalie and August banter and their entire relationship. The way he loved her from page one had be swooning!

Natalie's life is falling apart, but at least it is happening in the beautiful wine country of the Napa valley. When she isn't thinking about the bottom of her wine glass she can't help but think about August Cates's awful wine and even more awful disposition. Can these enemies get through their marriage of convenience long enough for both of them to get what they need to get their lives back on track or will more blood be spilled than wine?

I liked this book even more than the first in this series, Secretly Yours. Natalie and August's banter and hate-filled relationship were hilarious. The sexual tension was deliciously built up and satisfyingly resolved. The characters issues were front and center, and while a bit repetitive at points, helped with their development and eventually brought them together. It was satisfying to see the inner workings of both MC's thoughts and feelings as they developed which really sold the love story. Another job well done by Tessa Bailey!

✩3.5

✦What to Expect✦
• Marriage of convenience
• Enemies to lovers
• Prank wars
• Napa & wine vibes

✦Thoughts ✦
I think this book was definitely better than the first book. I loved the banter between August & Natalie. They took no mercy when it came to their jabs, but also would defend the other in heartbeat. I thought August was very funny, a little ridiculous at times…but I still found him entertaining. I felt sympathy for Natalie and found her very relatable. In typical Tessa fashion, the spice in this one is top tier and super fun.

Tessa Bailey's novels are always a solid read. Bailey's writing is fluid and clear, her characters are well crafted, and her plots feel believable. Unfortunately Yours is another solid book by Bailey, it is an easy entry point into her writing, it has a more tame feel compared to some of her indie and older works, and is a very easy and enjoyable read. In this novel Bailey explores the marriage of convenience trope, which is currently very prominent in a lot of new traditionally published contemporary romances. This novel is fairly fun, and light hearted. There is nothing crazy build around the need to get married and is a predictable set up. I found this novel to be a quick and easy read, perfect beach style read that has a nice level of sensuality. It also has a hero who has some unrequited love for the heroine, which makes him super endearing and someone the reader can easily fall and root for. The wit and banter between the hero and heroine really sparks of the page and make this novel so much fun to read.

If you are looking for a lighthearted, funny romance then Unfortunately Yours is a wonderful novel to check out. If you adore Tessa Bailey I am sure you are going to enjoy this novel. I also find this a really easy place to start with Tessa Bailey, it beautifully highlights her humor and character building, while being easily accessible for someone new to her works.

CW: PTSD, absent parent, destructive fire.

Marriage of convenience + enemies to lovers= August and Natalie Cates.

Their story technically began at the end of Secretly Yours, so while these can be read as standalones, I do recommend reading SY first.

Marriage of convenience is a favorite of mine, but so rarely is it in contemporary romance. Tessa found credible reasons for it, which I appreciated.

The hate, which so often in enemies to lovers makes zero sense to me, has some foundation in this situation, which makes the slow burn romance beautiful.

Note: slow burn romance. Not slow burn steam. The steam is more like fireworks. And yes, in true Queen Tessa fashion, it is a wide open door romance.

He falls first (which you know I love), but it's more than finding her attractive. He truly wants nothing more than to see her happy, from the beginning. And when Natalie realized she wants the same for her fake husband...some moments made me laugh (prank war), while others (Natalie comforting August after a triggering experience), made me tear up.

The one issue I have is that August, a retired Navy SEAL, is referred to as a soldier multiple times. Including by his CO. This would not happen, ever. So that was upsetting.

That said, I loved the story itself. The ending and epilogue gave me the warm fuzzies.

Be ready for a whirlwind.

I was nervous I wouldn't like this book as much as the first one but I ended up liking it more. Fake marriage, enemies to lovers, lots of smut!!!! Everything about Natalie that annoyed me in book one ended up being why I loved her more in this book. Fully understanding why she is the way she is and her trouble not feeling like she fits in makes me feel for her.
August Cates... oh boy he is so stubborn. Hearing all about why he got into wine making is so heartbreaking and beautiful and watching Natalie and him start to understand why they are the way they are and love each other for it was so cute.
Obviously with books like this you basically know they end up together in the end but watching the events unfold and the drama makes it amazing and reminds me why I love reading anytime I pick up a new book. Thoroughly enjoyed this one!!!

Ugh this was amazing ! Absolutely loved Natalie and august, their banter and chemistry and one of the best character arcs (in both of them) Tessa Bailey has written !

Unfortunately Yours is a predictable marriage of convenience book. I enjoyed the story. The sex scenes and discussion seemed a little forced. I really liked the epilogue, but the rest of the book was just ok.

August is trying (for reasons reserved close to his heart) to open a winery... and he is miserably failing. He has exhausted all his capital and maybe all his will?
Natalie, a wine empire princess chased her dreams and struck on her own, made something of her self without her family's shadow. But one mistake costs her everything. To start over she will need her trust fund... only thing is daddy's stipulations says she has to be married to receive it. Maybe these 2 could get fake married and pull it off long enough to get some cash? Problem is they hate each other... maybe they won't survive it.
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Guys!! I feell so hard for August!!! He is an ex Navy SEALS but contrary to what these characters are typically portrayed as... he is the biggest goofball ever!! He is a loose cannon of crazy nonsense and joy and I absolutely adored him for it!! He had me laughing, swooning and even tearing up! He was so true to himself with absolutely zero filter and it was everything. He falls first and he falls hard!
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It was so much fun to read these 2. Their banter was so on point, I laughed multiple times and kept wanting more. I enjoyed Natalie letting go of herself a little and letting this ball of sunchine just rob on her a bit.
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No 3rd act brakeup up for the win guys!!
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I absolutely enjoyed this read and absolutely recommend it!! Tessa Bailey never fails to provide us with fresh humor and swoony moments to fill our hearts desire. Reading her work is such a fun and satisfying ride!
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Thank you @avonbooks for finally giving me a opportunity to read a Tessa Bailey ARC through @Netgalley! 😅 You guys made my day!!💜 Hopefully this won't be the last🤞

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy of Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey. I didn't really like book one in the A Vine Mess series but I have enjoyed a bunch of Tessa's books so was ready to start a new one and I'm my opinion it was only marginally better than Secretly Yours.

I'm always down for fake dating or marriage of convenience and mix it with enemies to lovers and Tessa Bailey's banter I was excited for this but it was super cringy. I liked the plot more but otherwise it was okay.

I'm not sure why The Bellinger Sisters series was so different for me but since she wrote those I haven't enjoyed any of her more rece books....

Hooked from the first sentence! I really enjoyed the second book in the series A Vine Mess. This book follows Julian’s sister Natalie. Natalie is back home after losing her job and fiancé at the same time. Natalie needs money to open her own company and the only way to get it is from her trust fund. There is one condition, she must marry. August is a retired navy seal who is trying to open a winery in the name of his belated best friend Sam. He is out of money and is going to have to give up on the business. The two enter into a marriage of convenience! Wonderful. I really enjoyed these characters more than those in book 1. The chemistry was fantastic.
*thank you to NetGalley for an arc.

There’s a fine line between loathe you and can’t live without you in Unfortunately Yours. Tessa Bailey gives Natalie Vos her happily ever after in this second Vine Mess book that, unfortunately, was not my cup of tea (or glass of Cabernet, if we’re going to be on-theme).

Natalie has long been an outsider, even among her own family. She’s both worked hard and acted out all her life to not be ignored but there’s a core of loneliness to her that broke my heart. I liked seeing the vulnerable side of Natalie whose smarts and insight had a lot to offer, and I really wish I’d seen more of that developed because it gave her character depth. August Cates is the one man who sees her and he drives her absolutely batty. The former Navy SEAL is now running a winery in memory of his best friend, but he sucks at it. When Natalie needs access to her trust fund (hampered by archaic terms) and August needs to be taken seriously by the wine community to get a small business loan, they decide on a marriage of convenience. A sham wedding and close quarters mean it’s impossible for these two stubborn people to go from locking horns to…well, you get the idea.

I wanted to love Unfortunately Yours as much as I’ve loved other books of Bailey’s. However, I simply struggled with this one. August just didn’t work for me. No matter how many times Bailey reminds readers that he’s huge and a former Navy SEAL, August came off as a caricature of a giant, protective alpha male to me. Between his cringy jokes and absurd horniness he came off like a teenager rather than a thirty-something veteran. The banter between he and Natalie didn’t work for me at all and the whole book just came off as hyper-hormonal rather than hot, shallow rather than believable, and the insta-love strained credulity to the breaking point. There were some good points to the book (Menace the cat) and some opportunities for more development that were sadly missed (Natalie’s relationship with her family). Not every book will be for every reader and Natalie and August’s story is a case of the characters just not being for me.

Let me start off by saying I love anything that Tessa Bailey writes and Unfortunately Yours is now my favorite (sorry It Happened One Summer). This enemies to lover, marriage of convenience is full of funny retorts and spice.

I absolutely enjoyed it and I hope there’s another book in this realm; maybe mama Voss?

I love a marriage of convenience book, but I felt like August’s insta-love of Natalie was missing something. Maybe it would’ve helped if I’d seen more of their early interactions/when they met? I liked August, but he was not quite self aware enough. I was frustrated over and over by his justifications for keeping secrets. And the way he wanted to do everything himself and somehow didn’t understand that he was doing the exact thing that he was mad at her family for doing to her? And that it was a colossal waste of money to keep doing something he’s bad at and refusing help. This book was okay overall but there are many other Tessa Bailey books that I’ve enjoyed more.