Perfect for Loathe to Lovers novel, even though each character secretly "doesn't" hate the other. In "Unfortunately Yours: meet Natalie Vos the heiress to her family's winery empire and August the retired, single, sexy Navy Seal who is trying to honor his fallen comrade by creating a successful winery. The two enter a fake marriage in order for Natalie to have her trust fund released and August to get a small business loan. But, what starts out as a business transaction quickly changes into something more as sparks and chemistry start flying. This book is for anyone who loves a curl-up worthy, read-in-one-sitting enemies to lovers rom-com. Bravo, Tessa Bailey.

Thank you to @NetGalley for the advanced ARC!

Okay listen, this was really a 4.75 star read for me but again goodreads won't give us half ratings so this one is 100% worth rounding up.

Marriage of convenience between enemies? SAY LESS.

This one features Natalie, a prickly former trader that is home nursing her broken engagement and the loss of the career she'd worked her a** off to get. Instead of setting around and doing nothing she made the choice to start her own financial firm but to do so she needs funds, specifically the kind of funds she'd have access to through her antiquated trust fund. What she doesn't expect is to get married to August Cates of all people.

August Cates, a former seal is doing his level best to make his late best friends dream come true. But he seriously sucks at it. He can't make wine to save his life, but after deciding to throw in the towel he finds himself marrying Natalie (even if she can't stand him and he quickly finds himself becoming obsessed with her).

Seriously, these two made me laugh more times than not. Their banter was top notch and the chemistry was obvious. More than the laughs though this one also broke my heart at times, I found myself crying for Natalie and August and I just couldn't get enough. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy to add to my ever growing Tessa Bailey collection.

I love everything about Natalie and August! I enjoyed Secretly Yours, but something about this duo just did it for me. I love a big burly guy, one who is emotionally capable and just lost for a woman. This felt like such fleshed out characters. Where Julian and Hallie were quirky and cute, these characters have such substance. I adore their growth and emotional evolution. Would 10/10 die for these two.

I really enjoy books by this author, but found this one a bit disappointing. The main character refers to himself as an Adonis entirely too many times. It comes off as cheesy. The main characters in this aren't quite as likeable as in Bailey's other novels. I still finished it and enjoyed it...just not one of my faves.

*happy sigh* I need an August in my life. Marriage of convenience is one of my absolute favorite tropes, but I rarely see it work as well in contemporary romance. Unfortunately Yours is a great example of when it works, and it works so well. I really enjoyed the characters and the setting, and as always, Tessa’s writing flows well and has plenty of spark and humor. I’m so looking forward to reading even more from her! 4.5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved Secretly Yours, so I was thrilled to get my hands on Unfortunately Yours to read Natalie’s story.

Natalie Vos has had her whole life flipped upside down. She lost her job and fiancé in New York and had to move back her family home in Napa. Desperate to return to her career in finance, Natalie needs the money from her trust fund to start her own firm. Unfortunately, the terms of her trust fund state that she must be employed and married in order to receive any money. Enter August Cates. The goofball former Navy SEAL is trying to fulfill his best friend’s dream of opening a winery, but his funds have fun dry. Agreeing to marry Natalie Vos would ensure his ability to get a small business loan. The only issue? Natalie and August hate one another.

The enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience tropes were truly enjoyable. The banter between Natalie and August was *chef’s kiss* perfect. Now, it wouldn’t be a Tessa Bailey book without some spicy scenes and she did not disappoint!

I think my favorite part of this book was that the third act conflict was not what I expected it to be which was refreshing.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked Sincerely Yours, the first book in this companion series, but I loved this one. A marriage of convenience in Wine Country? Yes please! Plus it’s Tessa Bailey so it’s steamy.

This felt like so much more than a standard contemporary romance because Natalie and August both recognize the things they need to work on in themselves and then also what triggers the other person. The book timeline moved pretty fast for all that growth, but other than that it felt more real life.

This is my fifth Tessa Bailey book and I can’t wait to read more.

5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC of this book.

3.5 stars

Natalie Vos had been living in the guest house of her family's commercial vineyard. She felt she had spent enough time licking her wounds and was ready to make plans to return to New York and the financial world. The only thing stopping her was money. She and a friend decided to start their own business, but they needed money for their start-up. She had a trust fund, but it would not be released until she was married and was gainfully employed. She was neither at the moment.

August Cates bought a vineyard with the objective of fulfilling his best friend's dream of being a wine maker. He taught himself the basics and worked to make his wine palatable. Unfortunately, he was struggling with the nuances of wine production. He spent every penny he had to buy the winery and his money was running out. He applied for a loan at the local bank, but was turned down. He feared failure was eminent.

This was the second in the A Vine Mess series. I read the first, Secretly Yours, and loved it. This one didn't resonate with me as much. Natalie and August had a mutual dislike for each other, but decided to put that on the back burner for a marriage of convenience. Natalie needed her trust fund money released and August hoped his marriage to Natalie would give him enough clout to get a small business loan. I liked Natalie as a main character. I could understand the issues that drove her personality. August fought an uphill battle with me. He revealed he thought with a body part other than his head on page two of the story. It was going to take a lot for me to like him after that revelation. I wish Tessa Bailey had left that part out honestly. I questioned his changing feelings for Natalie longer than I normally would . Were they genuine or not? For those interested, this book was spicy.

I received an e-ARC for Unfortunately Yours and want to thank Tessa Bailey, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the opportunity to voluntarily read and give an honest review of this book. Unfortunately Yours is scheduled to be released June 6, 2023.

This was so much better than the first installment in the series. I absolutely adored the main characters. Adored them. Their banter was SO GOOD. It had me blushing and squealing like a little school girl. This book had the perfect amount of flirting, spice, and romance. While I do have some issues with the timeline and how quickly the two fell in love, I can appreciate that these characters are perfect for each other. I wish there was more conflict with the marriage and convincing everyone it was real. I think it would’ve been a 5 star read if the char Ater’s actually truly hated each other for a while longer. But, I’d reread this. I’m buying it. I’m telling my friends to read it. Natalie and August stole my heart ❤️

I don't even know where to start with this review... I absolutely loved Unfortunately Yours. After meeting Natalie and August in Secretly Yours, I knew we were in for a treat but I didn't know it was going to be this good. The (sorta) enemies to lovers vibe is amped up by a marriage of convenience and I loved every second of it. The banter between the two is immaculate and we even get a short-lived prank war that just felt right.

If all of this wasn't enough, we also maybe get a shirt-tearing scene that is so perfectly spicy... On a more serious note, I thought Tessa Bailey did a phenomenal job of the nuances of each characters imperfections and struggles, it was heart-breaking but entirely believable.

I can't wait to (inevitably) read this again!!

I absolutely LOVED this duet by Tessa Bailey. (book one Secretly Yours)

Unfortunately Yours was such a fun read. It has so many of my favorite tropes.

Enemies to Lovers
Fake Dating
Marriage of Convenience
Forced Proximity
Small Town
He Falls First

I loved the chemistry and tension between Natalie and August. They were both lovable characters that you could root for. It's fast paced and witty, with dual pov chapters and lots of spice.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an advanced eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is due to come out June 6th 2023

Unfortunately Yours
Tessa Bailey
Pub Date June 6, 2023
Avon
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
#2 A Vine Mess
Love the cover. I have mixed feelings on this book. I’m sad that this book didn’t hit it out of the park for me. Technically ok. I just didn’t care like I did in Hook, line and Sinker,
4 stars

Unfortunately Yours
(A Vine Mess, #2)
Tessa Bailey
4-4.5 ⭐️

I knew while reading Secretly Yours that I absolutely needed more Natalie in my life, and Tessa Bailey totally delivered. I liked Secretly Yours, but I can happily say I adored Unfortunately Yours. I love it when the follow up tops its predecessor.

Hello swoony August, and welcome to my book boyfriend list. Former Navy Seal. Enough said. 😍 I loved him, his goofiness, and how totally gone he was for Natalie. These two were the perfect enemies to lovers couple. With their push/pull relationship and their snarky banter that paved the way for some incredible tension and angst. Of course Tessa brought her signature spice and dirty talk. 🥵

An entertaining and steamy read with hilarious dialogue. I enjoyed that the vineyard plays a bigger role this time around. We dip into a few heavier topics; anxiety, PTSD, family struggles, but Bailey does so without changing the overall lighthearted feel of the story. The epilogue was so sweet! I can't wait to add a physical copy to my shelves.

What I loved;
💜 Enemies to Lovers
💜 Napa Setting
💜 Marriage of Convenience
💜 Cinnamon Roll Hero/He Falls First
😻 Menace in a tux

Unfortunately Yours publishes 6/6 and pairs wonderfully with a nice glass of Cabernet🍷. While this can be read as a standalone, the characters and backstory will make more sense when having read Secretly Yours first.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A cutesy love story with marriage of convenience and enemies to lovers. I like the banter between the two but the story was a little slow for me. Overall it was a good fluffy book.

I really did not like Secretly Yours, so I was sooooo close to skipping this stand alone sequel. However, Tessa Bailey books are like a magnet, and after knowing this follows Julian’s sister Natalie, I had to give it a try.

To my greatest surprise, I liked this one A LOT!! Filled with some of my favorite tropes (marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, small town), everything plot and character wise just worked. There was definitely steam, but it did not overpower the story and I wasn’t turned off by any of the banter or dirty talk (which sometimes happens in a TB book). August, the former SEAL turned failed winemaker, was the stern brunch daddy you will grow to love. He was upfront, honest, and all for open communication, which made his budding relationship with Natalie that much better. There was still some drama I didn’t think was totally necessary, especially in the third act, but definitely an overall win for me!!

Read if you like:
-Marriage of convenience
-Enemies to lovers
-Small town
-Stern brunch daddy hero
-Succesful heroine
-Napa Valley setting


Thank you Avon for the ARC! Pub date 6/6/23

I didn’t particularly like the first in this series (Secretly Yours) so I had pretty low expectations going into this one, but I thought this one was waaaaay better. It’s an enemies-to-lovers, fake marriage romance featuring an ex-Navy SEAL turned winemaker and an ex-hedge fund manager whose family is one of the most notable in Napa. Their chemistry was much more believable, the banter was witty and authentic and the sex was 🔥🔥. They also acted like grownups in how they fought and resolved conflict and I liked seeing their relationship grow with them. A solid 4/5.

*NOTE: Review scheduled to be posted on my blog on June 5, 2023. I also plan to post my reading journal for this book to my TikTok (Date TBD). I will add links to these reviews on NetGalley once posted.

Fortunately, I really enjoyed Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey.

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey is the second book in the Vine Mess duology. The first book, Secretly Yours, was released earlier this year. The second installment follows Natalie Vos, Julian's sister from the first book, after she loses and her job and her fiancee. In order to make her return to New York, Natalie needs the money from her trust fund. There's only one catch: the money won't be released until she gets married. As a result, Natalie fake marries August Cates, a former Navy SEAL who needs money in order to fulfill his friend's dream of owning a winery.

I was hesitant, but hopeful before starting Unfortunately Yours. There were many problems that hindered my reading experience in the first book of this duology. In Secretly Yours, I didn't believe the romance between two the main characters as they felt too different to be compatible. Additionally, I found the backstories and characterization of the two main characters to be a little disorganized and inconsistent. I struggled through the plot, which lacked a strong structure.

That being said, I did see potential in Natalie and August's story from the glimpses of their characters that I saw in Secretly Yours. While Unfortunately Yours wasn't perfect, I definitely enjoyed my reading experience with this installment of the series more than the first book. Overall, Unfortunately Yours has stronger characters, a stronger plot, and a stronger connection to the setting than Secretly Yours.

Let's start with the characters:

Natalie and August are well-developed characters whose motivations and decisions make sense based on their experiences. Natalie views herself as an outcast, both with her family and in the professional world. As a result, she remains deeply guarded and takes offense when she feels like she is shut out by others. Additionally, she has developed negative feelings towards men, as her experience with her father and her trust fund as well as her experience with her fiancee and her engagement seem to hinged on money and doing what they want. These experiences translate into all of her interactions with other people and the decisions she makes throughout the novel.

On the other hand, August lost a friend in the army and is now committed to fulfilling that friend's dream of owning a winery. August feels guilt over his friend's death, so he fiercely protects those that he loves. At the same time, he pushes people away because he feels personal responsibility to make things right by himself. Like with Natalie, these experiences are prevalent in all of his interactions with other people and the decisions that he makes throughout the novel.

Since Natalie and August as so well-developed throughout the story, it adds a character-driven element to the story, which I enjoyed. I appreciated that Natalie and August are very flawed characters and they grow individually as their relationship grows throughout the story. Natalie and August did exactly what I expect in a romance: they challenge each others false beliefs about the world and become a strong couple as a result. Compared to Hallie and Julian, they loved and appreciated each other without putting the other person on a pedestal. Additionally, I found that they complimented each other better and I could see them lasting long after the novel finished.

Now, onto the plot:

Another aspect of Unfortunately Yours that I enjoyed more than Secretly Yours was the plot. In Secretly Yours, I thought that the secret admirer letters would play a larger role in the story and I was disappointed when that wasn't the case. That isn't what happens in Unfortunately Yours as the marriage of convenience trope advertised in the story's synopsis plays a central role to the story. Additionally, I found that the vineyard setting plays a much larger role in this book than the first book in the duology, which I also enjoyed.

Overall, it felt like Unfortunately Yours follows a more cohesive story structure. There's a clear reason why both characters buy into the marriage of convenience. Keeping up the fake marriage causes stakes to be high when Natalie's business and August's loan are on the line. Scenes throughout the book felt purposeful to highlight Natalie and August challenging each other to grow closer as a couple. This book seemed to have more scenes that built on each other compared to Secretly Yours, which helped me stay engaged in the story. I finished Unfortunately Yours in a couple days because the pacing of the story moved quickly wheras it took me about two weeks to finish the first book in this duology.

That being said, I found the last quarter of the book to be weaker than the rest of the story. There's one scene where August does a big, dramatic rescue. For me, I felt like I was already shown August's selfless and protective nature. Since this scene really didn't affect the main plot, it took me a little bit out of the story. I'm not a fan of when it seems like a near-death experience is thrown in to motivate the characters to express their feelings. I feel like their could have been a more character-driven way, or even a different plot-driven way, which could have produced the same result.

Additionally, I found the third act conflict to be a little weak. Throughout the story, readers learn two big secrets which the main characters keep from each other. These secrets hinge on one of the insecurities that the other characters faces. This increases the stakes and seems to set up a huge confrontation in the third act. However, that's not how the story unfolds. While the direction the story goes does make sense based on the characters, it didn't feel like the plot was building to that point. As a a result, I was disappointed to see the two big secrets quickly resolved in the last few pages. This aspect of the plot reminded me so much of the ending to Secretly Yours where a big issue is resolved in a very simple manner in the last minutes of the book.

Final Thoughts:

Unfortunately Yours was what I was looking for in the Vine Mess duology. Overall, I enjoyed the majority of this book and found it to be much stronger than the first book in this duology. That being said, the ending of this book was weaker than the beginning and middle. I give Unfortunately Yours 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I liked Secretly Yours, but I LOVED Unfortunately Yours!
I ate this one up and couldn't put it down.
Tessa Bailey does it again. She writes endearing characters that stand out and vastly in their own ways, while weaving a story of some of the hardest trope hurdles to tackle.
I loved the witty banter between Natalie and August, and laughed out loud a few times because these two were just hilarious together. The sass, the pranks, the falling in love while trying really hard not to, and the ANGST...
Perfection.
And the epilogue was beyond adorable.
Thank you NetGalley, Avon or Harper Voyager, and Tessa Bailey for an ARC of this one. I truly loved it. Unfortunately Yours is set to release on June 6, 2023!

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You'd think I'd eat this up. It has enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience which is my favorite trope but I just wasn't hooked. The pacing is somewhat off, the characters aren't really enemies or in denial - they almost clearly are into each other from the jump which is fine but doesn't give me the enemies to lovers tension that I love.

Something was just off with this one for me, I enjoyed it but I didn't eat it up. I usually can read a romance book in a day if not a few days and I practically dragged through this one. Definitely still readable and a fun time just not a new favorite for me.

*ARC Review*

4.5 stars

Uh oh, August Cates might be my favorite Tessa Bailey male character yet....

Unfortunately Yours picks up after Secretly Yours ends with Natalie Vos's story. In Secretly Yours we saw Natalie come back home to Napa after some problems at work and with her relationship. She wasn't cast in a very positive light, so I was worried I would not like her in her story.

I have to say I LOVED the book and Natalie. She had so much more dimension and was wickedly sharp and funny. Unfortunately Yours followed Natalie and her quest to unlock for trust fund so she can start her next project, which in the stipulations requires her to have a job and be married. She turns to her adversary August who is in dire need of a bank loan to keep his struggling cellar open. How Tessa Bailey made the perfect man I will not know. August is a former Navy SEAL who has so much empathy and passion and kindness. He is sensational.

Throughout the book we see non stop banter and a deep love bloom before our eyes.

This book is classic Tessa Bailey and in my opinion is one of her best.