GAH I did such a happy dance when I got approved of this! Tessa Bailey can do no wrong. Secretly Yours was one of my favorites of the year so far! And I LOVE a marriage of convenience.

I was so intrigued by Natalie and August in book #1 that I read the little excerpt of this book at the end of Secretly Yours (which I never do.) I love a pining hero. And there are too many good tropes.

tropes included are
-marriage of convenience (main one)
-enemies to lovers
-forced proximity
-mutual pining

And of course we get the Tessa Bailey spice we all want. The chemistry was here!

After reading this you will want to go to Napa Valley for a wine tasting. And I don't even really drink lol

5/5

After getting a sneak peak of August and Natalie's interactions in Secretly Yours, I couldn't wait to read its sequel, Unfortunately Yours. Tessa Bailey is always an auto-buy author for me, but it's been a hot minute since I've read a book that has made me completely fall in love with the story and the characters from the first page. Unfortunately Yours did just that for me. I absolutely loved it. This one will easily be in my top reads of 2023.

Marriage of convenience and enemies to lovers are some of my favorite tropes, so the mixture of the two together in this book were pure magic. While I loved Natalie's ballsy attitude when it came to August, I fell hard for former Navy SEAL August. His intentions behind opening the winery touched my heart. Even with the grief undertone (which was well done), August brought plenty of humor, especially with his inner monologue. I loved that he fell first and he fell hard. His pining for Natalie made the book for me, especially when he works so hard to convince her that their relationship has longevity. And despite his gruff demeanor at times, August is just a big protective softie and I absolutely loved him. There were three scenes that had me absolutely sobbing and made me fall in love with August that much more.

"That was August. Empathy, love, and unconditional support."

Pure usual with Tessa books, there was fantastic banter with great one-liners. The dialogue was sharp with a bite of snark. I loved how they were so competitive with each other, especially when they're fighting. Natalie and August were constantly needling each other, which created a great push and pull between the pair. I just keep smiling while reading all of their imperfectly perfect interactions. This helped build chemistry that was on fire. The dirty talk was solid, especially when August pulled out "good girl" on a few occasions.

Unfortunately Yours is an enemies to lovers marriage of convenience open door, steamy romance. It publishes June 6. While it is the second book in the Vine Mess series, this one can absolutely be read as a standalone.

I didn’t love the first book in the series, Secretly Yours, neither the pacing nor the romance really worked for me and it took forever to finish. I kind of debated on whether I should continue with this duology, but ultimately decided I needed to know how the hate/lust relationship between the other Vos sibling and her retired Navy Seal panned out. I’m glad I did because this book ABSOLUTELY worked for me.

Natalie Vos is back at her family’s winery after her life in New York crashed and burned. She’s kind of living in pause mode, drinking and sleeping and reluctantly representing Vos Winery when she must. But she has big plans to get back to New York and securing funding for her start-up is first up on the list.

August Cates is a retired Navy Seal trying to make a go of his own vineyard in remembrance of his best friend, but his wine-making skills leave a lot to be desired. He’s on the cusp of throwing in the towel, selling his land, and heading back home when Natalie Vos, aka the woman who drives him bananas in all kinds of ways, makes him an offer that will help them both out. A fake marriage that will help her gain her trust fund and secure him a bank loan. But they can’t stand each other… right?

Is fake enemies to lovers a thing? Because this kind of felt like that. While reading Secretly Yours, I was intrigued by this couple and their instant attraction that quickly turned to biting sarcasm and insults hurled at each other whenever they were in the same room. Despite the downturn of their relationship, I could sense the intense chemistry between them that Tessa Bailey is known for. When this book opens they have this antagonism that manifests in a lot of back-and-forth sniping at each other. Only now readers get both protagonists’ POVs and can tell that while they are irritated with each other, the lust is still there and they don’t really hate each other.

Their relationship quickly turns from that to kind of a mutual dependence and desire to help each other achieve their goals. August is especially sweet in his dedication to helping Natalie. He’s this giant, protective goofball who wants good things for her and is quick to change how he interacts with her whenever he realizes that what he thinks are friendly insults are really hurting her feelings. And I adored him for that. He realizes early on that he wants a real marriage and sets out to do whatever he must to make that happen. Natalie is a strong woman, but has been marginalized and overlooked for years and doesn’t trust easily. But despite all that their relationship turns pretty sexy rather quickly. Which I also loved. August’s brand of dirty talk was hot, hot, hot.

Let me just say, that after zipping through this book in a day, I casually went back and read my favorite parts over again. This couple is fun, and funny, and had intense chemistry. I enjoyed their interactions so much. Turns out their fake marriage isn’t really so fake. The epilogue is especially sweet, showcasing a loving couple who still have the hots for each other and a partnership that is sure to last through the years.

Unfortunately Yours is a wonderfully sexy, romantic read that I think fans of contemporary romance will love.

Grade- B+

I was hesitant to how I would feel with this one just based on the couples interactions in the first book. The romance felt a little off for me compared to the chemistry in book one. It was still a hit for me… & the cat was amazing.

This was another miss for me by Tessa Bailey.

As with the first book, the male lead came off as a stereotypical alpha male who was only interested in sex and couldn’t control himself. The “banter” between the two character bordered on rude and it didn’t make we want to root for them. I also found the sex scenes to be cringey.

I usually enjoy a fake dating trope but it actually felt like instalove when the male lead doesn’t take a loan less that 50% into to book because he’s already in love with the main character. This also felt sneaky to me and made me dislike the male lead even more.

Unfortunately Yours is Tessa Bailey's latest smashing hit!

In this marriage of convenience romance, August and Natalie find themselves in an interesting position. Natalie needs her trust fund money to start her own VC firm and show New York she is back and better than ever. The only catch? She needs to be married to get access to the money. August is trying to make wine to honor his best friend who was killed serving with him in the military. His problem? His awful attempts at wine-making is bringing everyone dishonor and he is on the verge of going bankrupt. Natalie Vos will add some legitimacy to his new wine cellar's name and help him finally get that small business loan he needs.

When these two are together, sparks are sure to fly. What Natalie and August need to find out is if all their bickering is actual animosity or foreplay. Full of Bailey's signature heat and humor Unfortunately Yours is a must read for all romcom fans!

The best thing about this was the cat. And the worst thing was the romance.

Seriously, talk about cringe. These two had some of the WORST dialogue. Which is such a shame, because the main couple actually had chemistry. But oh my god, their conversations hurt me. Especially during sex. We would go from steamy to discussions of unicorns. Like, come on. Tonal shift much???

And really, August himself threw me off. I liked the discussions of his past, and I liked him as an individual, but as a love interest for Natalie, I hated him. He was kinda creepy. And overprotective. And none of this in a hot way. Just in an overbearing, irritating way.

When I read Secretly Yours, I had rated it four stars. Thinking back, I remember nothing about it. Upon reading this one, I think that must be Bailer's brand. Brain fluff in the form of forgettable and unremarkable romcoms. Easy to read, but nothing special.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Tessa Bailey does it again! You will fall in love with these characters and their banter. I absolutely love all her books and this one lives up to the hype. It has you feeling a certain way and hoping for an outcome you get. Highly recommend

How many times will I write that Tessa Bailey can never write a book that I won't read? Well, here it is again.

This series has been so much fun. "Secretly Yours" was thoroughly enjoyable, and this follow-up was great. I love the way Bailey intertwines her characters throughout her series, and while I'm generally not a fan of the "insta-love" trope, this was one I actually found palatable . The marriage of convenience is always a fun trope, and these fiery characters were fun to read.

**I received this ARC courtesy of NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers. All opinions are my own.

This was one of my first Tessa Bailey’s and as far as funny romcoms go, this one was cute. August is a beef cake and got on my nerves at times because he borders misogynistic, but I really liked Natalie and her drive to make something of herself that was her own. She grew up shadowed by her brothers success and just wants to be truly seen and not overlooked. The plot moves quickly with the fake marriage/enemies to lover tropes and I wish it had a little bit more to it, but it serves its purpose all the same. It’s a solid 3 Stars for me and probably could be more for others who love the quirky quick romcom style and fake marriage tropes.

I love Tessa Bailey's writing so much!

I think this was a hard book to pitch me in the first place. I'm generally not a marriage of convenience fan, and coming into this I wasn't rooting for the couple because of interactions we see in book 1.

I found this story was banking a lot off of things we learned in book 1, like Natalie being the family let down, and the entire setting of being in Napa. August is presented as an instant-boner getting asshat and we're going backwards learning why his motivations are pure.

Overall a fun read but it won't be a standout for me!

Unfortunately Yours follows Natalie who after losing her job and her fiance returns home to lick her wounds. She just wants to get her trust fund and start over. However, in order to get the money from her trust fund she has to get married. August wants to own a successful winery, but he has no idea how to make wine. He has no funding for the winery. Natalie and August hate each other. But Natalie soon realizes that they can both benefit each other. She asks August to fake marry her. He agrees because they are both getting something out of the marriage. However, they soon develop feelings for each other and soon this marriage isn't such a bad thing.

I like Tessa Bailey a lot but this series is just not good. I have read many books by Tessa Bailey and I have enjoyed them. But I feel like she needs to take a break from writing books for a while. I just feel like because she has multiple books out a year her writing quality has gone down. I am not going to stop reading books by her. But I just wish she would focus more on quality rather than quantity. I didn't enjoy this book. I felt like this book had a similar plot to other books I have read. I didn't really care for the main characters. I also thought the writing was bad. I would not suggest this series and I do not think I will read any more books in this series. But I do suggest other books by her.

Thank you, Tessa Bailey, Avon Books, and Netgalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

While I may have been less than impressed with Secretly Yours, Unfortunately Yours blew me out of the water. If I knew any wine puns or anything resembling a sommelier joke, I'd insert it here. For someone whose drink of choice is a chilled pina colada, I was in seventh heaven wine country. While most of the wine references went over my petite head, Unfortunately Yours doubled down on the heartstrings and gave me a couple to root for! The Marriage of Convenience trope has me in a death grip and this was no exception. August and Natalie's unorthodox nuptials had me glued to my Kindle's screen. I was completely invested in their relationship. As someone who was called a brat multiple times in my childhood, it really soothed my inner trauma every time August called Natalie "princess" in a non-derogatory way. Hearing this moniker predominantly used in affection rather than disparagement only endeared the couple to me even more.

Unfortunately Yours was for the most part a smashing success and there were only a few flies in the wine barrel. Tessa Bailey books can be hit or miss for me, but I always come crawling back for the new releases. Her writing typically comes with a barrage of jokes and they don't always land. I would have been pleased with a severe reduction of the sarcastic quips because they detracted from the deeper emotional moments, which I preferred. I even had to look up a few of the references to see what the characters were trying to mock. Bad jokes aside, I loved our couple's dynamic all the way down to my toes. A big, hunky hero who was obsessed with his bride and wasn't afraid to talk about his emotions? I wish I had a Wonka machine to pull him straight out of the pages. It featured a beautiful evolution of their courtship where they only wed for practical reasons and their feelings blossomed into genuine affection. The marriage may have been formulated out of convenience, but who doesn't get that deep satisfaction when the groom pulls out that humdinger "my wife" for the first time? So simple yet so effective.

Unfortunately Yours delivered the honeyglow wrapped up in a wedding gift courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Cates. While Secretly Yours was the literal definition of sour grapes in a wine-themed romance, its sequel more than made up for it with charm and marital devotion. If I'm being transparent, I'm not a big fan of dogs and I hated how many poorly behaved mutts were in the first book. Thankfully, this book featured a deaf cat named Menace and he even snagged a little cameo on the cover. I'm a petty betty and that certainly factored into my high rating of this book, just saying. I've come to the conclusion that this novel is incorrectly titled because I had a spectacular reading experience and connected deeply to these characters. I know Natalie had her reservations, but I would jump into this situation in a heartbeat. Best beware because the first eligible beefcake arms I leap into might be Unfortunately Yours.

Literally loved this book. Tessa Bailey can do no wrong in my eyes. I eat every single one up! Fake marriage trope? Slay.

My favorite Tessa Bailey book ever! I enjoyed the first book in the series, but I absolutely loved this one. The chemistry between August and Natalie was off the charts. The banter and comebacks had me cracking up and the spice was fantastic. If you love enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience tropes, then this is a must read!
Thank you Avon and Netgalley for the ARC!

Marriage of convenience... consider me sold! Though, to be honest the epilogue was my favorite part of the book. Also, how does Tessa Bailey find the time to pump out all of these books? I feel like I barely have time to wash my hair.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First of all big thanks to NetGalley, Avon / Harper Voyager, and Tessa Bailey for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the first book in “A Vine Mess” series, AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS 2ND BOOK!!! I was anxiously waiting for this to come out and ended up devouring it in one sitting so I have to give it 5 stars!

This enemies-to-lovers/marriage of convenience love story features August Cates a former navy seal turned vintner and Natalie Vos a financial hard ass from wine royalty, They have this instant connection that quickly devolves into a feisty hatred. While enemies, they struggle to fight their unbearable attraction to each other but discover that a marriage of convenience could potentially help them both out of the problems their facing if they can survive being together.

Tessa Bailey really delivers two wonderful characters you can’t help but be obsessed about. They light up the pages with their crazy great banter and spicy scenes that make you wish their story never ended. This book had so many great moments of feisty fire and sweet discovery that really made me fall in love with the characters falling in love.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I love Tessa Bailey so much, and I enjoyed this book more than the first. This one was cute, had great humor as per usual with Tessa, and had the perfect amount of spice. If you like the marriage of convenience trope then you’ll enjoy this one!

Marriage of convenience? Amazing characters? And a storyline that you can't get enough of? Here's the book you need! I loved this one. Tessa Bailey can do no harm in the romcom world and she consistently writes books that make her readers fall in love!

I really enjoyed this one! The fake dating/marriage/convenience trope is one of my absolute favorites and as always, Tessa Bailey executed it perfectly. It was sweet, cozy and had the perfect spiciness. I honestly loved this book more that the first in the series!