Honestly, I was looking forward to this book as soon as I read Secretly Yours because I needed to know Natalie's story more than Julian's! Natalie and August might be my new favorite Tessa Bailey characters. It was easy to believe their histories and motivations, as well as their chemistry. A marriage of convenience is meant to solve financial problems, but brings them both out of the darkness instead. Could have done without the "grabbing", otherwise a fun story with passionate characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Tessa Bailey can be hit or miss for me but thankfully Unfortunately Yours was a hit. I loved the banter between Natalie and August and how they supported each other even while they were technically "enemies". I also really appreciated that there wasn't a third act break-up!

Perfect book to kickoff a summer romance readathon! I laughed a lot at cried at the end. Tessa Bailey writes such fun characters and I feel like I know them. We meet August and Natalie in “Secretly Yours” and we know their chemistry is already off the charts! Their follow up love story “Unfortunately Yours” was a delight to read!

Enemies to lovers and a marriage of convenience plus wine?!! Yes please! It’s a bold blend of classic tropes, with layers of sharp tongued wit, notes of bedroom spice with a sweet finish of sentimentality and romance. A must read for summer!!

August Cates is an ex Navy SEAL who is terrible at making wine. He is in Napa trying his best to fulfill his late best friends dream but he has run out of money and is about to give up.

Natalie is a wine heiress who has been fired from her job on Wall Street, dumped by her Fiancé and her family doesn’t take her seriously. She is defeated and living with her mom and ready for a comeback…but she needs money to start her own investment firm and her trust fund is locked up unless she gets married.

Natalie and August love/hate each other. She thinks he’s a buffoon, he thinks she’s a spoiled princess. They are constantly at each others throats but really want to be wrapped up in each other between the sheets. They concoct a marriage of convenience plan to help each other out with their respective finances, but they each have a secret, before they walk down the isle their respective financial woes are no longer but they still go through with the marriage because they want to help the other one achieve their dreams…add in their fierce chemistry and their secret desires for one another and we all know how well their no feelings, name only, financial gain marriage is going to go, straight to happily ever after! 💗🍷🤩

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.75/5

Unfortunately Yours is the second book in A Vine Mess Series. Natalie, who was a top financier in New York City, loses her job and her reputation, so she comes home to wine country California to figure out a plan to get back on her feet. August, a retired Navy SEAL, is running a failing vineyard and is on the brink of giving up and leaving.

Both need money: Natalie to start her own firm in NY to regain her status and August to keep the vineyard afloat long enough for him to fulfill his best friend’s dream of running such an endeavor. The solution? Natalie’s trust fund. Unfortunately, it can only be accessed if she is gainfully employed and married. Thus, a bargain is struck.

Overall review

I liked this one, but I just didn’t love it. As far as plot, it was a typical rom-com. There is nothing wrong with this, but plot definitely came second to the romance. I usually like a pretty even split of these two things, but the focus on romance also focused on the MCs and I think Tessa Bailey did a phenomenal job on Natalie and August. There’s LOL moments. Tears. And feels that come out of nowhere. It’s a fluffy and fun read that is quick and easy with a HEA. Definitely a low-commitment summer beach read.

(More detailed review below!)

I want to preface two things:

1) I did not read the first installment of this series so I didn’t get to see Natalie & August’s first meeting.

The first chapter starts off with the assumption that the reader knew of this meeting and jumps right into the present. Which is fine, but I just don’t remember this being the case for the Bellinger Sister series. So it took a couple chapters to orient myself with the MCs. There were a couple instances that alluded and referenced to this scene but the whole scene was not explicit in this book. Would I have wanted that prologue? Yes. Even though it would be a repeat for those that read the first book, I think it would make the series more appealing to know you can kind of jump around from book to book even though they’re interconnected. But I understand why it’s not included.

2) I am not a fan of insta-lust/love, but I think it really worked with Natalie and August.

I am OBSESSED with the fact that August is obsessed with Natalie! The banter was cute, and awkward, and witty and even a bit cringey at times but that just made it more wholesome and real. And even though it was insta-lust, there was still a slow-burn. Hear me out! the slow-burn to getting to sex? That was fantastic. There were a few spicy scenes (open door, on page) but it was everything leading up to sex, so when they did eventually do it, it was a lot more satisfying.

Their enemies-to-lovers I assume is from a miscommunication from the first book, but once they’re married and open up to each other, they try resolve things right away without letting them really simmer. August is straight forward and Natalie does not take his sh*t. I loved that for them. They would communicate and try to be honest even though it was hard. Obviously there are a few things they keep close to themselves but you can see they bring out the best in each other especially when they pay attention.

Like I said, the plot kind of fell in the background and was just there to push the characters together. We do get a little cameo of Julian and Halle from the first book. I thought her mother would play a bigger role in the story, but she only gets one scene to highlight her character as an individual and it fell flat for me. Though they weren’t estranged, their relationship wasn’t the best and it shaped Natalie’s personality in a very big way. I was disappointed at the resolution at the end; it seemed like an afterthought.

As for the MC’s ending, there was a small miscommunication and a sort-of-grand gesture, that I would have thought have been lacking, but because the MCs are so vibrant, the ending was satisfying.

ALSO THE EPILOGUE IS EVERYTHING.

Enemies to lovers, California wine country, fake marriage, sexy banter…Tessa Bailey knows how to effectively use tropes and create a satisfying romance novel.

This book was very entertaining, and I was engaged throughout. However, the reader must go along for the ride and suspend belief with a few of the plot lines. Would a man try to build a winery knowing nothing at all about wine? Would a legitimate investment consultant promise enormous returns to a prospective client. However, these are minor points since the book is really all about the romance.

I enjoyed this book, as I do all Tessa Bailey novels.

Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

I wanted to love this book, but it just wasn’t as good as other Tessa Bailey books. I mean it’s still good but after reading the Bellinger Sisters this just didn’t compare.

We get enemies to lovers but to me the enemies part didn’t last as long as it should have. I think about 40% in both of them realized they liked each other. They both said they would only get married to help themselves and then that didn’t even happen. And Natalie was very adamant about only marrying August to get her trust fund and all that went out the window. It just seemed like these two liking each other was just forced too much.

I think the banter between these two was really good and I loved that they were always fun arguing. I thought that part of their relationship was cute. I didn’t like that August seemed to be really childish at some points. And the dirty talk was just a no for me in this book. Overall I thought the book was cute but it was very predictable.

I love reading Tessa Bailey's books! There is something so addictive in the way she writes. I don't know if it's the fun and snarky banter between her characters or her masterful use of romance tropes that never feel overdone, but I will happily read anything she writes. This series was not my favorite of her books, but it was still a fun read. Enemies-to-lovers and fake dating/marriage are two of my favorite tropes, so I was so excited for this book. It was a little light on the plot and focused mostly on the romance and spice, but it was still such a fun read! It was a sweet, light, and fast read that I couldn't put down!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I can't wait to read what Tessa Bailey writes next!

This is probably Bailey's spiciest book yet in terms of how the spice was written, not the amount of times the spice happened on page (which was a lot, but it did take a second to get there. I love enemies to lovers because I'm a human being with a pulse, and loved seeing that August was in love from the get go and had to learn to curve his comebacks. Natalie was extremely relatable with the kinds of insecurities she had and how they clashed with August's and how both of them didn't shy from unraveling those insecurities together. The only thing that took me out of the story was how many times being a former Navy SEAL was brought up, but that's because I'm from San Diego so it's kind of like, okay we get it. The banter was funny, the first paragraph of the book had me laughing out loud, and the humor Bailey always infuses into her stories is really what keeps bringing her readers back.

I loved this one even more than the first one in this series. August is the perfect mmc. The chemistry between him and Natalie were off the charts even in book one. I needed this book asap.

Things to love :
The arranged marriage trope
The back and forth banter
The steamy scenes
The endearing moments they both did for each other
The grumpy cat


Cameos from Julian and blondie were cute too.

Natalie is such a strong fmc and I enjoyed seeing her get her happy ending.

I received an advanced reader's copy of Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this novel and it made for a quick, easy read. The main characters - Natalie and August - were an interesting match.

Initially they seem to be an unlikely pair with the circumstances of their early encounters, but their chemistry was hot, the banter was engaging, and the action was swift. All in all, this novel was well written and the plot was engaging.

THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A ROMANCE HERO.
August was EVERYTHING. My new book boyfriend/husband/unrealistic expectation setter. His obsession with his wife is everything to me!
The communication in this book was delightful, their spats were funny and all around I loved it

I was dying to read August and Natalie’s book and my expectations weren’t wronged. I absolutely loved this book.

The banter between Natalie and August was the BEST. They spend the entirety of the book fighting and I enjoyed every second of it. I also really liked how they couldn’t help hurting each other’s feelings because they didn’t know each other at first, but they always knew how to apologize and stop poking where it hurt. They genuinely didn’t want to hurt each other, but fighting and getting worked up is their love language. I also enjoyed the marriage plot a lot, it was so fun. Menace in her cat tuxedo brough tears to my eyes. August was so adorable when it came to the cat, and I also loved him in general. Those wedding vows… I nearly cried. He was a big alpha hero with a gooey center, totally Tessa’s style. One of my favorite TB heroes!

However, my absolute favorite character was Natalie. I hated how everyone dismissed her help and acted as if she was more like a burden. My heart broke so bad for her. I could understand August motives, but not her mother’s. I spent the majority of the book saying: let her speak let her help let her BE involved. She was the best and I love her.

Last but not least: petition for Tessa to never stop writing these epilogues. 🥹

Rating: 4/5
Steam level: Open door, 3-4 scenes, high level of detail

ARC provided by Avon and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!

This cover is so pretty and I love most of Tessa Bailey's books (favorite being the Bellinger Sister Series). While I thought this book was a decent read, it is no where as near the amazingness that is the Bellinger Sister Series. I always love a marriage of convenience trope, but somehow this one didn't sell it for me. The pacing of this book is off and I just couldn't get myself to fall in love with any of the characters despite their chemistry with each other.
Overall this was a cute read. If you are a Tessa Bailey fan or looking for a fast-paced quick read, this is it. In the meantime, I will prefer just re-reading Hook, Line, and Sinker!

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books, Harper Voyager and Tessa Bailey for this ARC.

Unfortunately Yours is a dream from which I never want to wake up. This is my favorite Tessa Bailey book in a long time - and that’s saying something because I have been a fan from the beginning. This book is the perfect blend of all the emotions, making it the best of all worlds. August is a freaking hero and Natalie is a freaking genius…and together they are the most precious of gems. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Summary:
Natalie Vos has returned to Napa jobless, fiancé-less, and in need of money to start her own investment firm. August Cates owns a vineyard that makes terrible-tasting wine, but owes it to his friend not to give up. August and Natalie may hate each other at first sight, but their respective financial struggles causes Natalie to propose a marriage of convenience so that both of them can get the capital they need to fund their dreams...

My review:
TESSA BAILEY IS BACK. I enjoyed reading Unfortunately Yours, and I think what made this book really hit was just how reminiscent it was of Tessa's older works. August and Natalie reminded me a lot of Brent and Hayden from Asking for Trouble— August is a brash, cocky retired Navy SEAL, and Natalie is a pedigreed investment banker. There's this immediate sexual tension between August and Natalie, but circumstances make them "enemies" of sorts, which leads to a lot of pretty hilarious back-and-forth arguing between them (as always, Tessa knows how to write good banter).

Natalie and August are both at their lowest when they meet, and I actually liked that. This isn't a story about a ripped-and-ready soldier and a socialite; August is a former SEAL who's now trying his best to create a profitable vineyard to honor a friend's legacy. Natalie is trying to start up her own investment firm and struggles with being seen as a valued member of her own family. She also has a history of struggling with alcohol. They're both a little pathetic (but in an endearing way), little prickly, and scared to let their guards down. But because they both need money, they need to put their hang-ups aside and go ahead with this marriage of convenience.

Regarding their marriage, I appreciated how the wedding happened around midway through the book (ft. dancing to "Brick House" by the Commodores, him tenderly plucking rice out of her hair, and that lift from Dirty Dancing), so lot of the story is Natalie and August learning to live and work together while they "pretend" to be married for real. And that close proximity led to a lot of excellent bonding moments (and not just physical lol). SPEAKING of which—

The sex:
When I say Tessa's back, I mean this in terms of the sex as well. Because August fucked up his first chance with Natalie, he's determined to do this RIGHT the second time around. And by right, I mean no p in v sex until he's convinced she won't regret sleeping with him. Which.... makes for an excellent self-denial subplot.

Here's what worked for me:

a) The dirty talk is still a little paired down compared to Tessa's older works, but it did the trick

b) WEDDING NIGHT! Maybe I've been brainwashed by historical romances about the excitement of wedding night sex but this one was great— the stand-out moment was August telling Natalie he's imagined going down on her so many times "imaginary August has lockjaw". Then there was a classic Tessa Bailey blowjob scene (I feel like a lot of contemporary romances skimp on these, so I like the level of detail Tessa provides).

c) There is, in fact, face-sitting

d) Do I think the opportunity for August to showcase his SEAL skills was a bit shoehorned? Yes, but when it leads to a level of scared/horny desperation that has them pulling over their car during a FLASH FLOOD and he's standing OUTSIDE IN THE STORM while railing her from behind.... I'm here for it.

Basically, I don't believe in the "wife guy" but August is the only kind of "wife guy" I condone, namely, the kind that gets off on it.

Overall:
I had a lot of fun reading this book and absolutely would recommend. If you're looking for a light read (a beach read, if you will) with plenty of heart that also doesn't skimp on good sex, this is the book for you!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I binged this in like.. 5 hours? This was such a wholesome and well-written book 😭 Tessa Bailey's books are always perfect, but this book was a special kind of perfect ❤️ I loved the depth of the emotions both MCs felt for each other, and Tessa Bailey has done such a great job of exploring all the feelings in a patient, slow-burn manner.

💫 Enemies to fake marriage to lovers (and they loved each other all along, AND he fell first 😭)
💫 MCs taking care each other when they're facing emotionally vulnerable stuff 😭
💫 The resolution of the third act conflict was top-knotch. I was legit bawling through the conflict, but the MMC came through in such a perfect way, I would like to reread this many times over.
💫 THE EPILOGUE OMG, literal wholesomeness and perfection. Tessa Bailey can write 50 more pages of that fluffy fluff and I'd read it 😭

TWs - friend's death in a war (past), MC being rescued from a fire (past, described), PTSD from war, flash flood + rescuing people trapped in it(present)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I fell in love with August more and more with the turn of each page. I love the banter back and forth between Natalie and August. Their relationship is fun to watch unfold. Tessa Bailey is a go to for a fun, laugh-out-loud, heart warming story.
Natalie Vos is a wine heiress but she has never had too much to do with the family process of wine making. She found her niche while in New York for trading. Now all that has blown up in her face and sent her running back home with her tail between her legs. Just because she's down doesn't mean she's out.
She needs her trust fund money to help launch her way back into the Wall Street scene. The only problem is to recieve the money she has to be married.
Now to marry the one person she hates, but there is a fine line between love and hate. Now only to see if she can get by without killing him.

Mandy Harris
Angel Wings Bookstore

Unfortunately Yours is the second book in the A Vine Mess series and it follows the story of August and Natalie. After losing her job and fiance, Natalie returns home to lick her wounds. A few months later, she’s ready to get back on her feet. She just needs her trust fund to finance her dreams, but unfortunately for Natalie, her trust fund comes with stipulations she never saw coming….August knows literally nothing about wine, but is desperate to make his late friend’s dream come true. His wine is awful and no one is willing to give him a loan to turn things around. And when Natalie enters the picture sparks fly….

Overall, I found this book to be a really cute read. I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers vibe between August and Natalie. Their banter entertained me and I loved the way they pushed each other’s buttons. The chemistry between the two of them exploded off the pages and when it comes to tropes, this book hit all the marks.

Unfortunately Yours is a fantastic enemies-to-lovers, fake relationship romance. Tessa Bailey’s signature wit and steamy romance will leave you glued to the pages. I hope you’ll fall head over heels for August and Natalie just as I have.

This book unexpectedly arrived on my dashboard and it was like my birthday came early.

Unfortunately Yours is a enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience romantic comedy featuring August Cates, who's trying to start a winery and Natalie Vos, who's family has been in the wine making business for a very long time. Set in Napa,
They start off instantly attracted to each other, yet not getting along. Their banter is intense, fantastic, and funny.
When Natalie and August do sync up both emotionally and physically, fireworks abound.
I really enjoyed this book. It was totally worth giving up sleep to keep reading.
Tessa has a wonderful wit and voice. Her characters are fun, real, and a bit wounded, but as with all characters who are trying to heal, the perfect medicine can be someone who truly gets you and is willing to walk with you as you find your peace.

I received an ARC from the publisher for my honest review.

Natalie Vos CANNOT stand August Cates, and his wine is disgusting too. But when she discovers the archaic terms of her trust fund, she realizes he may be the one person who can help her out.

Cute, typical romcom. The characters were secondary characters in Secretly Yours (Natalie is Julian's sister). An adorable, easy, perfect-for-summer, beach read. Its not too substancy - TB's novels aren't meant to be - but it'sfun. Numerous steamy scenes in this one, but also skippable if you prefer. If youre looking for a good mindless read, this could be it.