Unfortunately Yours is the second book in the A Vine Mess series, but is a complete standalone. I will be the first to admit that I wasn't a huge fan of the first book, but I absolutely love Tessa Bailey as a writer and put my faith in her and this book and am so glad I did. This book was fun, steamy, full of banter and just the right combination of everything that I wanted in a romcom.

Natalie Vos has returned home after a major financial blunder in NYC that left her unemployed and dumped by her fiancé. She is back home, living in the guest house on her family's vineyard in Napa Valley trying to figure out her next move. She needs funds in order to start her own firm. Only stipulation that her father left to gain her trust fund? She must be married. Enter her worst best match...

August Cates is an ex Navy Seal that has started his own winery because of something one of his friends wanted but never got to achieve. But he is HORRIBLE at it. With a capital H. The wine is so bad that he catches the eye of Natalie and they banter like no one's business. They are funny and poke each other in all the best ways, but those things push them together, yet make them some sort of enemies. Enemies to lovers if you will. August has made his last batch of wine and can't get a business loan, so he is giving up the dream, until a Marriage of Convenience lands in his lap.

OMG! This story was full of sexual tension and laugh out loud moments right from the start. With the very first line of the book, I was hooked. There was no denying I was going to enjoy this story! Mix the humor with Tessa's notorious spicy scenes and you have a great romcom full of banter and an enjoyable story of Opposites Attract. I loved August and his patience for a woman that was misunderstood and constantly under estimated by her family. He knew her worth and he was going to give it to her, whether she wanted it or not. And Natalie? She was fierce in her own right and stood her ground through everything. She wanted to support August and his endeavors, but she was a bit more timid because she had been burned before.

So what happens when a marriage of convenience turns into a fake marriage, turns into a slow burn romance? It turns into a delightful, spicy love story of epic proportions.

If you enjoy:
Opposites Attract
Enemies to lover
Marriage of convenience
He Falls First
Forced/Close Proximity
Romcom of the spicy variety, you will enjoy Unfortunately Yours.
If you're like me and didn't particularly care for Secretly Yours and are hesitant to jump into this one, have faith and enjoy these two characters that shine and are a perfect match

In the authors note, Bailey says that Natalie and August are her favorite characters she’s written and, after reading this book, it’s easy to see why! Natalie is a spunky, driven firecracker with a tough exterior and heart of gold. August is the Navy SEAL who’s so much deeper and complex than meets the eye. Together, they’re *chefs kiss*

In typical Bailey fashion, Unfortunately Yours is a whirlwind romance full of playful, sexy banter, touching moments, lots of laughs, and spice!

While I didn’t love how both Natalie and August’s characters tended to border on stereotypical, I really appreciated that Bailey would add a twist or complexity to each character just when it was needed. Their story kept me on my toes and curious to see how everything unfolded!

Overall, I really enjoyed Unfortunately Yours and recommend it for a fun, lighthearted read!

LIKES:
👥 Dual POV (Natalie & August)
💍 Marriage of convenience
⚔️ Enemies to Lovers
🍇 Napa Valley setting
💬 Playful banter
🌶️ Spicy
🚀 Fast paced

The way this book got me out of a reading slump.

4⭐️/5
3🌶️ /5

My favorites:
-chemistry/tension between MCs was glorious. The love-hate banter had me swooning.
-The plot centres around wine making and Wall Street, none of which I have any vested interest in so I appreciated the brevity of both.
-HEA!
-no third act break up - although I was expecting it!
-the comedy!

My not-so-faves:
-family dynamics - brother/sister and mother/daughter - the first few mentions were a bit triggering but I was able to sweep right through the rest with no/mild feelings.
-grief/loss

Unfortunately Yours is book 2 in this series. I wasn’t sure about it initially bc I did not connect with the MCs in Book 1, Secretly Yours. I really enjoyed Unfortunately Yours! It is a fun read with several spicy moments and light drama.

I didn't love the first book in this series and I am so glad I didn't give up continue on with the series. I loved Secretly Yours! This was the perfect marriage of convenience story. The first line caught my attention and kept me interested the whole story. I love August with how goofy he is despite being a former SEAL and how honest he was with his feelings for Natalie.

Natalie is a tough on the outside and had more internal issues with some difficult family dynamics. I enjoyed seeing her growth and seeing how Natalie and August's relationship developed. This one was full of laughs and 🔥🔥.

Thank you @avonbooks @netgalley for a copy of this book.

When I had reviewed “Secretly Yours,” I had written:
We'll see if "Unfortunately Yours" is better, the way "Hook, Line and Sinker" was better than "It Happened One Summer."

And it is.

Both Natalie and August have feisty temperaments that match up with their love scenes in the book (unlike Julian and Hallie in the last book). It’s a great plot point that they had equally big financial secrets to hide from each other (namely, that each had lines of credit suddenly open up right around the time of their wedding).

Both have years of personal failings to overcome, and things to prove to those around them. August does have a big mouth and a tendency to blurt out first, think about it later. Which of course gets him into a lot of hot water.

Natalie’s practical jokes on August were some of the funniest scenes in the book.

I think you can read this without the first book and not miss much.

After committing a huge professional error and losing her fiancé in one fell swoop, Natalie Vos wants/needs her trust fund to be released so she can go back to NYC and save face by opening her own financial business. The only problem is the stipulation that she be married and employed. Enter... August Cates - former Navy SEAL, current owner of a failing winery who needs some capital fast, and Natalie's chosen partner for a marriage of convenience.

This book felt like a giant step backwards for feminism. Not only are the terms surrounding the trust fund maddening, but I'm getting bored with Tessa Bailey's leading men. I'm aware that her brand is alpha males who use their physical prowess to achieve their objectives and feel better about themselves, but they're all different versions of the same caveman. I would love to see some evolution in the men (and the women who are attracted to them). Is that so much to ask in 2023?

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager via NetGalley for gifting me an ARC to review!

Natalie is back in her Napa Valley hometown trying to figure out how to break back into the NYC investment world. August is trying unsuccessfully to run a winery. Together, they see a way to help each other out. All they have to do is get married.

I love Tessa Bailey. I always know exactly what I’m getting when I read one of her books and this was no exception. Here’s what I loved:

🍷 The wine background. It was fun to see inside of the wine industry. Natalie grew up in a family of experts and uses that to help August.

🍷 Enemies to lovers…sorta. It’s clear very early that August has feelings for Natalie. I liked the way this was portrayed. He’s pining for her and wants her even while they fight.

🍷 August. He is a new book boyfriend. He’s an ex- navy Seal with a hilarious sense of humor. I adored him. He had me laughing constantly. But he also had a heart of gold and is fiercely loyal.

🍷 the writing. As always, Bailey has a sharp sense of humor and a keen eye for character that comes through the pages. Oh and she’s good at writing those spicy scenes!

-fake marriage
-ex military.
-enemies to lovers
-he falls first.

🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷/5

Can we just all agree that Tessa Bailey knows how to mix banter and steam? Not to mention I love the way she writes her male love interests #swoon !

We first met August and Natalie in Tessa Bailey’s Secretly Yours. And now in this sequel we get to see their story! I love a good enemies to lovers story and this one did not disappoint.

Happy Pub Day 📚❤️ and thank you for the book mail and ARC @avonbooks @tessabailey @netgalley This was the perfect beach read!

This is definitely my new favorite Tessa Bailey book! I’m not gonna lie, I was nervous because Secretly Yours was not my fave but this one was much more my speed!

It had my favorite tropes - enemies to loves and marriage of convenience. It’s honestly probably one of my favorite marriage of convenience stories over all.

I genuinely loved every moment; the tension, the banter, the jokes, the spice & of course August - he was *chefs kiss*

This book honestly pulled me out of my reading slump & I was able to finish it in one day!

*Thank you so much to netgalley for the earc and the publisher for sending me a physical copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!*

Natalie Vos is a wine heiress who has been a bit down on her luck. In order to receive her trust fund and rebuild her life she has to get married thanks to a clause her estranged dad included. She enters a marriage of convenience with a guy she can’t stand: Navy SEAL veteran August Cates. August is trying to fulfill his late best friend’s dream of owning a vineyard, but is doing a terrible job, and he needs Natalie’s expertise to help him. While this marriage has the possibility to help them both in different ways, their undeniable attraction could turn it into something real.

Tess Bailey does it again. The witty banter, the chemistry, the STEAM. This book does all of it so perfectly. August and Natalie were so good together, even when they weren’t getting along. I particularly loved August for being so tough but such a giant softie inside. The way he cared for Natalie was just so sweet. This book was exactly what I needed after a bit of a reading slump.

Thanks to Avon Books for the gifted copy.

Love Tessa Bailey. Her books never disappoint. Steam, chemistry, and a great story. This one is a page turner; fake engagement/marriage of convenience can be tricky to pull off in contemporary settings but this one was a delight to read and well executed

I absolutely adored this! Tessa Bailey does it again! I’ve been devouring all of her books. They’re easy to eat, funny, and just so good! The tropes?! This one was FULL of them and I cannot get enough. I’m so thankful that I got to read this early!

I must have been in a Tessa Bailey slump because I've been reading a lot of her books and feel like it is repeative. However, I still enjoyed it. The characters in her books are always fun and witty, so the banter is always good. I think I might have to take a little Tessa Bailey break and then go back to enjoy this book. It is def a good summer read and very quick. Overall, I'd give it 4/5.

Natalie Vos's life is falling apart. Because of a bad choice she lost her job and her fiance in one fell swoop. Natalie decides to hightail it out of New York City and head back to Napa where her family is. Over the years her family may never have cared if she was around but Natalie needed a change of scenery. Natalie's family runs Vos Vineyards so she spends her time drinking a little wine....ok...a lot...trying to drown her sorrows. Not wanting to stay in the mansion with her mom, she is sleeping in the guest house with her brother, Julian. It wouldn't be so bad if Julian wasn't always having fun with his girlfriend, Hallie.

While at a wine tasting event, Natalie meets August Cates of Zelnick Cellars and a former Navy SEAL. Even though Natalie has sworn off men she is instantly attracted to August. Too bad he had to open his mouth and ruin everything, oh and his wine sucks! Now these two spend all their time tossing barbs back and forth. One minute Natalie and August want to kiss each other, the next they are out for blood.

After some time home, Natalie wants to head back to New York City and open her own company. Problem is is that she doesn't have enough money. She asks her mom for her trust fund but her mom informs her that she has to be working and married before she can have it. After one of her barbing sessions with August, Natalie hatches a plan.....her and August can get married and she will be an employee of Zelnick Cellars. She will have her money then they can divorce.

After their wedding, Natalie and August are enjoying being together. Their chemistry is off the charts and pretty soon they are acting like a real married couple. As these two spend more time together, they each start to understand the other better. When Natalie realizes the reason August is trying to make wine she offers to help but he is too proud. Just when things look like these two are getting a happy ending, the past comes back to haunt them. If Natalie and August can both get beyond their pasts, they will have a really chance at forever. In grand fashion, August does something totally unexpected and then finally Natalie realizes she is totally in love with him.

I really loved this steamy, marriage of convenience story. All of Natalie's life no one really ever saw the real her, until August came along. I just adored the way these two bantered back and forth. This story was a fun, enjoyable read and I just loved it.

Ready for a good Rom-com?

Coming in hot is the Queen of Steam, Tessa Bailey and her new book “Unfortunaly Yours”!

In this follow up to “Secretly Yours”, we are whisked back to wine country where down on her luck Vos Vineyard heiress, Natalie comes up with a brilliant plan. Marry the man she can’t stand.

Out of a job and out of love, Natalie looks to receive her trust fund but in order to do so she must be married and have a job. This is where her enemy, August Cate, who is looking for a bank loan and help with his vineyard, comes in. A sham wedding later and the pair are living under the same roof when the unexpected happens. Their undeniable attraction for each other.

As all of her other books, Tessa had me in tears from laughing so hard as well as fanning myself off from all the steaminess! In my eyes, Tessa can do no wrong and has rightfully claimed (again) her crown. If you’re looking for something that brings the heat and keep you crying from laughter run to the store and grab this book before it burns up the shelves!

Thank you Avon Books for the advanced copy of this book!

I love Natalie and August’s journey and relationship. They understood each other and helped make each other feel better. I was nervous about Natalie's character but I actually fully understand her decisions in life. Their banter and sexual tension was amazing and I loved how vulnerable August was. August is definitely one of my favorite types of heroes to read about.

I liked this better than the first one! He's a total sweetheart with a filthy mouth. If you've read Tessa, you know what you're getting. I'll recommend this for readers who want good banter and a grumpy-sunshine vibe.

I absolutely adored this book!

After loving Secretly Yours (4.5 ⭐️), I was so excited to receive an ARC of Unfortunately Yours! I’m a huge sucker for a marriage of convenience so I knew this book would be for me from page 1. Throw in some enemies-to-lovers and it was absolute perfection!

Natalie and August both had a lot of growing and discovering to do as they formed their extremely unlikely alliance through marriage, but as they worked through their grief and trauma together, they learned what the other person needed in a partner in such a beautiful way. And of course, it wouldn’t be a great Tessa Bailey book without some excellent, laugh out loud banter and a dose of spice!

Read this book if you like:
- marriage of convenience
- enemies-to-lovers
- hilarious banter
- wine country setting
- spice!

Overall, I highly recommend checking out the Vine Mess duology!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC and the publisher for the complimentary hard copy. All opinions provided are my own.

Unfortunately, Yours has:

golden retriever & cat energy
an MC defending another MC
him panicking over the possibility of her being in present danger or past
Some steam
Comfort

After not loving Secretly Yours, Tessa Bailey’s upcoming novel UNFORTUNATELY, YOURS out tomorrow, feels like a return to the hotness & the infatuation & the pure goodness of a TB dirty sex, he-will-love-her-to-the-end-of-time story.

I adore August Cates. Like in a way as big as the man himself. I love his golden retriever energy, which gives me Brent from Asking for Trouble vibes. I love when Natalie gets pissy with him, how she calls him bonehead, & how he’s basically like “I know but you want me so what does that make you” in return.

I love that you just know they will be in each other’s corners forever, defending the other from anyone else.

It’s opposites attract, class difference, marriage of convenience, dislike-ish to love, and total wish fulfillment for someone who just wants a fast, low angst, ticks all the boxes, hot read.

4.5⭐️. Out now!

CW: Heavy alcohol use. Reference to rehab, which her parents made her go to when she was younger.

[ID: Jess’s white hand holds the book in front of a chandelier wrapped in a strand of rose vine. A copse of trees is in the background.]

I have read many Tessa Bailey romances, and generally have enjoyed them. The romance felt a bit too rushed, a bit too insta-love for me. The story is supposed to be an enemies-to-lovers, fake dating/marriage trope. However, all the backstory on the 'enemies' part is not actually part of the story. The chemistry and banter between the main characters is quite book. This one is quite steamy early on for those who are looking for a steamy romance.