I hadn't heard of this author previously, so wasn't sure what to expect. I had hoped, based on the blurb and cover, that this book would be upbeat and fun, and instead, it fell flat for me.

I couldn't relate to the characters, their motivations and actions were at odds with their personalities, which made them untrustworthy to me as a reader.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

This was such a sweet book, I actually worked in a winery for a few months last year and that’s what drew me to the book initially! It’s got everything I love second chance crush, small town and opposites attract!
It’s filled with sweet, spicy, & funny moments!
I love that Julian’s completely regimented and uptight and Hallie is acts on a whim and can’t stick to a schedule at all!
It’s cute, it’s realistic, it’s spicy and I would recommend it !
Can I just say the garden scene, the kitchen scene, the vineyard scene !!!!!! Oh my spice!!!

This is so close to the reaching It Happened One Summer’s dizzying heights.

This is a fun take on the sunshine X grumpy trope; think, calm beach meets tsunami. While the letter writing seemed a little redundant, it was a charming and light read nonetheless. A perfect way to spend my summer holidays.

I’m beyond excited to read the sequel. Enriching stories from the same world is something Bailey does seamlessly.

Secretly Yours successfully kicks off a brand new series following the Vos family and their Vineyard, aptly named 'A Vine Mess' from our Queen of romance Tessa Bailey and I have to say, I. Ate. It. Up!

Chaotic. That's the way Hallie Welch describes her life. Running her late grandmothers gardening business, she isn't afraid of a little hard work. Securing a job at Vos Vineyard, secretly Hallie has hopes of running in to her long-term teen crush, Julian. Coincidentally, Julian is home to work on his writing and get a handle on his rigid living schedule. However, having Hallie gardening outside his window is quite the distraction. Julian finds himself deviating from his schedules wanting to get to know Hallie better. That is until the letters start turning up. Letters from a secret admirer. Julian is conflicted, wanting to get to know the beautiful Hallie in front of him - but he also wants to know more about the girl in the letters. The girl from his past.

Tessa Bailey has a special knack for building great, believable characters. In a complete opposites attract setting, Hallie and Julian were always going to be perfectly imperfect for each other. This has set the couple up for immediate chemistry, both in their relationship story and their more intimate relationship as well. As always, Bailey has outdone herself in her steamy scenes, giving the read a superb balance between the swoon-worthy love story and that delicious spice. Recommended for fans of second chance romance, grumpy sunshine and insta-love. This one releases on February 1st, 2023, so grab yourself a glass of wine and settle in for an evening because this is one you won't be able to put down.


**I voluntarily read this book early, many thanks to HarperCollins Australia, Tessa Bailey and NetGalley for an advanced copy.**

4.2 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGally for the arc, in exchange for an honest review 📚.

Summer vibes. Small town. The one that got away.

When Julian Vos returns to his family home to write a novel, Hallie can't keep away from the man she was in love with as a teenager. Hallie is a whirlwind, spending her time helping keep Corked (the town's winestore) from closing, and running her gardening business. She is chaos, where Julian is order. But for someone who can't stand chaos, Julian seems to have a lot of excuses for needing Hallie around...

This was cute! And very spicy, as per usual Tessa Bailey books. The characters were well developed, and I was invested in the story.

Who knew a stoic, rule-following, dress-shirt-wearing teacher could talk the way he did to Hallie... 👀

The only thing I didn't love was the secret admirer letters. It felt a bit cringe. Luckily that wasn't a massive part of the story! Tessa Bailey is the only author that could have this as a theme in their books and I would stilll read it. She's just that good 🤷‍♀️.

I'm excited for book two of this duology, I want to see Natalie's story!

I will posting a review of this book on my Instagram, Goodreads and TikTok accounts within the next week. My handle for all of these medias is "Tahliareadstoomuch".

Secretly Yours

Wow, this book is so easy to read. I'm ashamed to admit this is my first Tessa Bailey novel.

From the first page we are thrown into the perfect small town with small town drama and a female protagonist who is larger than life and hilariously relatable.

I adore Hallie and Julian. They really are the perfect example of opposites attract. They may exasperate one another but they also bring out the best abd ground each other. All of their interactions are hilarious and emotion-fuelled. And at times, deliciously saucy.

The relationships in this book are fantastic, from Hallies eccentric best friend to Julian's stoic sister. They are all written in a way that readers can relate.

Secretly Yours is an adventure filled with romance, finding yourself, dogs and gardening. With a whirlwind gardener female MC and a brooding professor male MC. The two make this story of growth, absolutely un-put-downable.
Easy to read, mid-paced and thoroughly enjoyable!

Thank you to HarperCollins Australia and Netgalley for the advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ★

This was an enjoyable and easy romance read. There was nothing I outright disliked, but it just didn't quite have the emotional impact of a 4 or 5 star book for me.

There were many things I enjoyed about this book, including:

• The banter and growth between the main characters
• The love Hallie has for her grandmothers favourite local business
• How genuine Julian was and how much effort he put into the people he loves
• The anxiety rep
• The closer relationships that Julian forged with his mother and sister
• I did think the length of time Hallie held on to her high school crush seemed a bit unrealistic, but I liked that she was open-minded and liked Julian for who he was rather than who he was in her imagination.

Title: Secretly Yours
Author: Tessa Bailey
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Fave quote from the book - “and that butt…that butt had aged like a Cabernet. Full bodied and – she assumed – delicious”.

Julian required order…Hallie was disorder in the flesh. Hallie is a disorganized gardener who can’t seem to get her life together after the death of her grandmother. Julian is the anxious professor and also the son of Napa Valley vineyard royalty…he likes control and is organised. Do opposites attract? Hell yes, this book they collide in the absolute best way!

What I Loved:
*Hallie is a curvy girl and we just don’t see that often enough in stories these days.
* Julian suffers from anxiety and panic attacks and let me tell you this gal can relate. It was nice to see this portrayed in the story.
*The Cheese Incident
*The tension between Hallie and Julian
*The dirty talk especially from Julian I mean please gimme more!
*Anxiety and mental health awareness

This one isn’t out until February 1, 2023, so keep an eye out! Thank you @netgalley for my advance copy!

Thanks to Harper Collins Australia, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book - I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As soon as I received a copy I squealed so loud that my dog left the room. I can barely read what I am typing right now because I stayed up way too late reading it. It goes without saying that I love everything this author writes, but I was particularly looking forward to this one because of the curvy heroine on the cover.

I want to gush about this book, but I am afraid I will give something away - but this is so much more than a grumpy/sunshine romance novel. As usual, Bailey handles heavier topics like anxiety, grief and bravery with aplomb.

I cannot wait for the next in the series, but this one will hold a special place in my Tessa Bailey collection, just because I know I'll be thinking about it for days.

This book was a fun, easy and interesting read, many parts of it was enjoyable and I would even recommend it to others. The pacing was quite slow so if you like a very slow-burn romance, then this is for you. I absolutely loved Julian!