Something is rotten in the state of (Napa) California....and it's definitely August's wine! We met these two firecrackers briefly in the first book in the Vine Mess series and I will be honest, the highlight of that book was Natalie dumping some of the aforementioned awful wine over August's head. I did not care about Hallie & Julian's romance in 'Secretly Yours,' but just the brief glimpse we saw on Natalie & August was enough to reel me in for book #2.

Banter is something Tessa Bailey writes best and when it works, you can almost see the sparks fly. August & Natalie love to hate each other. Like, really, really love it. If trading insults was an Olympic sport, they would both be reaching for the gold. Enemies to lovers is a trope I love and add in a marriage of convenience, you have a story that will appeal to everyone. There is also heart and humor and a man defending the woman he loves and did I mention banter? Like a crisp rosé on a hot summer's day, this book goes down like a treat.

Many thanks to Avon and Harper Voyage and Netgalley for the ARC.

So I didn't read the first in this series, but it's pretty standalone. I liked Ms. Bailey's voice and how she wrote the story. I was engaged in Natalie and August's road from enemies to fake marriage to REAL romance! August was ALL IN from the beginning trying to convince Natalie that she could get all she need from Napa and not to return to NY.

Unfortunately Yours follows Natalie Vos and August Cates, who readers will remember from their appearances in Secretly Yours. Natalie is the sister of Julian, Secretly Yours' Adam Driver-esque male lead, and August is a bad-date-turned-enemy we meet but haven't learned too much about yet. Until now.

August, a former Navy SEAL, is in the Napa area to fulfill a fallen comrade (and his best friend's) lifelong dream to own and operate a successful vineyard. Natalie is home with her tail between her legs after a majorly failed business deal ends her life, and relationships, in New York. Natalie is determined not to be down for too long, and comes home to regroup for her inevitable return and takeover of the NYC finance world. Until she gets news that tosses all her plans into the ether...could August be the key to everything she needs to fix her life? And could Natalie Vos, of Vos Vineyards, one of the most notable vineyards in the area, help August fix the stomach burning liquid he calls his wine?

This was a quick read that I enjoyed! I will say, it's rare for me to not love a book boyfriend and I just couldn't get behind August. He seemed so oblivious to me, so concerned with his own thoughts to consider anyone else's even for a second. I didn't dislike August, at all, I just felt more "meh" about him than I usually do. On the other hand, I love Natalie! She gave me April Ludgate vibes a la Parks and Rec, and that is a hiiiiigh honor coming from me. She was funny and sassy, smart, but vulnerable. I loved watching her grow throughout the book, and hope to get more Natalie (and, begrudgingly, August) cameos in future books.

I didn't know how much I loved a "marriage of convenience" trope until I read this book.

I did also feel like the pace was a bit all over the place...some storylines dragged, while others were there and over quickly. Overall, I'd give it a 3.5/5, rounded up to a 4 stars!

I have broken up with Tessa Bailey and gotten back together more than once. The 1st book in this "series" was not a standout for me. But I was in the mood for a steamy contemporary romance and took a chance. Good decision.

Set in Napa we are treated sizzling chemistry and quippy barbs from August & Natalies in an enemies-to-lovers marriage of convenience love story. It's told with dual pov chapters with makes it fast paced and easy to read. Oh- and plenty of spice.

I said this about the first book in this series, and I will say it again. I think this is my favorite Tessa Bailey series! It somehow feels less cringe to me. I like the Napa setting, and I love these characters! It was fun and low on the emotionally-complicated scale. I thought the enemies part was well done, which is normally my biggest compliant with Enemies to Lovers. Following Tessa on social media has helped me appreciate her humor. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

I'm not sure I love anything more than an enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, romantic comedy. This book was nearly everything I could want from a romcom, and was a really enjoyable read for me. I love when characters help each other heal from family trauma, or just trauma in general, and Natalie and August did that for each other. Plus, is there anything more attractive than a beefy Navy SEAL being a total cinnamon roll?

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was looking forward to this one, but it was a bit of a letdown for me. Though it had the fun enemies-to-lover banter, it lacked the chemistry that is usually associated with this trope. August wasn’t the typical guy I would have pictures for this trope either. He seemed to be one minded and lacked any substance.

It’s unusual for me to connect with the leading female more than the male, but I enjoyed Natalie a lot. She was witty and smart and a true firecracker. I enjoyed that she never lost sight of herself in this book.

I think I went into this book with a different expectation than what was actually written. I think it missed the mark with some aspects of the book and was done really well with other aspects.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC

I absolutely love Tessa Bailey books! They're the perfect combination of romance and comedy that give me all of the feels! "Unfortunately Yours" was no exception. Though I've read quite a few books about fake marriages, the story of Natalie and August was one that I'll remember for a while. 5 stars!

Arguably better than the first installment of the series, but still left something to be desired. This seems to be a pattern with Tessa Bailey and I - I enjoyed the second installment the Bellinger Sisters series more than the first as well, but there's always just *something* that doesn't click with me in Bailey's books and I haven't been able to identify it yet. The writing is fine - good, even - the characters are fleshed out, and I typically enjoy the plots/pacing, but it's never been so good that I'm rushing home from work so I can finish it. It was a perfectly fine book, but maybe not the kind that I would enjoy a second time.

Loved the newest funny, sweet, and spicy novel from Tessa Bailey. The winery setting is gorgeous, and the tough Navy SEAL that falls in an instant is a delight. August quickly became a favorite hero! Releasing June 6, this one is a gem! With all the wine talk, best enjoyed with a crisp, light, refreshing Blanc de Blanc.

***ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
Previously read and loved book one "Secretly Yours" and with the Wine Down Napa scene where we get introduced to August and Natalie's dynamic, I was excited for this book. However also a little hesitant because I didn't want it to be a "Hook, Line, and Sinker" moment where I fell in love with characters from book 1 and impatiently awaited their story for it to not be as good as the first. THANKFULLY this book did not disappoint!!! This duology has been my favorite so far from Tessa Bailey (and I have read A LOT of her books). This book is a marriage of convenience rom com with our leads having a very hot/cold, love/hate dynamic! Also Menace the cat hidden gem of side character. Some of the dialogue (especially around August being huge) was a little repetitive would be my only critique, still very much enjoyed the ride of this story though.

Perfect, sweet romance. Loved the enemies to lovers mixed with some marriage of convenience, and we love an emotionally mature man!

Dare I say it? This is Tessa Bailey’s BEST book yet!!! She had me cry laughing in the acknowledgement, and that basically sums up my experience reading the whole story.

August had me laughing so hard and I fell in love with him so quickly…I will never emotionally recover. How am I suppose to live in reality after this?

The emotions were played on perfectly! Every time you were suppose to feel hurt, humor, happiness, etc., every beat was hit. I was able to connect with Natalie in a way I wasn’t expecting. Both Natalie and August have my entire heart.

The pacing was amazing. I think the length of the book was perfect. You really felt grounded in each scene which I loved and is really hard for some writers to perfect. I can't get over how funny it was. Tessa's writing gets better with every book she writes.

The chemistry was THERE! Like, it was there there. When I tell you they are real life soulmates. I can’t wait to reread this one. 10/10 Tessa!

This is book two of the series and was as much fun as the first book to read. August and Natalie had crazy chemistry and despite trying to protect their vulnerable selves behind insults, found themselves drawn to one another. This was a fast read with great banter like you’d hope with a Tessa Bailey book.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is an enemies to relationship book. They best get along when they're arguing and throwing insults at each other. Read this if you want to laugh and see adults act out. A 3 stars read.

************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley***********************

Unfortunately Yours is a fantastic rom-com that will make your heart race and leave you not wanting August and Natalie’s story to end. Bailey delivers a story that will not disappoint. August has been added to my list of book husbands. Definitely enjoyed this book more than the first of the series.

3.5 stars from me! August and Natalie were very cute! Their dynamic was fun, enemies-to-lovers except they aren't really enemies because August is down so bad for her from the beginning. Some parts felt a little slow and maybe I just found this hard to sink my teeth into, but I wasn't obsessed with this book. Still, very cute, steamy, sweet, Tessa Bailey always delivers on those fronts.

I really enjoyed Tessa Bailey's Bellinger Sisters books, which are the only two books I've read from her so far. I didn't realize that this book was the second in the series (this keeps happening to me), and now I'm eager to read the first one. It reminded me a bit of Laura Dave's Eight Hundred Grapes, but that's probably because I haven't read that many books that take place in Napa. I enjoyed this book, I love a strong male character who also has feelings, so I adored August. I thought Natalie felt a little flat. Her hurt felt real, but at times I felt that was all she had. It would have been nice to see her as a bit more dynamic character. That being said, I loved their relationship. It did feel quite rushed, but maybe more was done in the first book, I'm not too sure. There was also an explanation to them rushing their romance, but I felt that they fell in love in a way that was unrealistic and unsustainable. The last chapter made it clear that their relationship was a lasting one, but I was a bit skeptical when I was reading the book. I also felt that I wanted to hear a bit more about Napa, there wasn't too much said about the setting of the story, and I feel like a setting like Napa could've added a bit more to the story. I also felt that I wanted more about August's pre-Napa life. You're only really told about his time as a SEAL and a little bit about his family, but not much else. That being said, this was an enjoyable book. Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you, Net Galley and Avon Books for sending me an ARC of Unfortunately Yours! Okay, this book was soooooo cute! I really enjoyed the first installment of this series, but absolutely devoured this one! Tessa’s writing is amazing and never fails to make me laugh out loud. I loved Natalie and August’s relationship from start to finish. It’s an enemies to lovers, fake marriage, he falls first love story, that keeps you completely entertained. Tessa’s books always just make me so happy and this one was no different. Zero complaints here! Add this to your TBR and mark your calendars for June 6th!

Another fun story . Fake marriage, enemies to lovers . Unexpected love. Crazy cat and sexy Navy veteran, This rom com is refreshing and esy to follow, sexy and spicy. Definitely something I will be recommending 🫣