What do you think?
Rate this book
A Vine Mess #2
Unfortunately Yours
A down-on-her-luck Napa heiress suggests a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience to a man she can't stand... only to discover there's a fine line between love and hate.
After losing her job and her fiancé in one fell swoop, Natalie Vos returned home to lick her wounds. A few months later, she's sufficiently drowned her sorrows in cabernet and she's ready to get back on her feet. She just needs her trust fund to finance her new business venture. Unfortunately, the terms require she marry before she can have the money. And well, dumped, remember? But Natalie is desperate enough to propose to a man who makes her want to kill him--and kiss him, in equal measure.
August Cates may own a vineyard, but he doesn't know jack about making wine. He's determined to do his late best friend proud, no matter what it takes. Except his tasting room is empty, his wine is disgusting (seriously, he once saw someone gag), and his buddy's legacy is circling the drain. No bank will give him the loan he needs to turn the business around... and then the gorgeous, feisty heiress knocks on his door. Natalie has haunted his dreams since the moment they met, but their sizzling chemistry immediately morphed into simmering insults.
Now, a quickie marriage could help them both. A sham wedding, a few weeks living under the same roof, and then they can go their separate ways--assuming they make it out alive. How hard could it be? There's just one thing they didn't account for: their unfortunate, unbearable, undeniable attraction.
After losing her job and her fiancé in one fell swoop, Natalie Vos returned home to lick her wounds. A few months later, she's sufficiently drowned her sorrows in cabernet and she's ready to get back on her feet. She just needs her trust fund to finance her new business venture. Unfortunately, the terms require she marry before she can have the money. And well, dumped, remember? But Natalie is desperate enough to propose to a man who makes her want to kill him--and kiss him, in equal measure.
August Cates may own a vineyard, but he doesn't know jack about making wine. He's determined to do his late best friend proud, no matter what it takes. Except his tasting room is empty, his wine is disgusting (seriously, he once saw someone gag), and his buddy's legacy is circling the drain. No bank will give him the loan he needs to turn the business around... and then the gorgeous, feisty heiress knocks on his door. Natalie has haunted his dreams since the moment they met, but their sizzling chemistry immediately morphed into simmering insults.
Now, a quickie marriage could help them both. A sham wedding, a few weeks living under the same roof, and then they can go their separate ways--assuming they make it out alive. How hard could it be? There's just one thing they didn't account for: their unfortunate, unbearable, undeniable attraction.
365 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2023
About the author
Tessa Bailey
144 books70.3k followersNew York Times Bestselling author Tessa Bailey can solve all problems except for her own, so she focuses those efforts on stubborn, fictional blue collar men and loyal, lovable heroines. She lives on Long Island avoiding the sun and social interactions, then wonders why no one has called. Dubbed the “Michelangelo of dirty talk,” by Entertainment Weekly, Tessa writes with spice, spirit, swoon and a guaranteed happily ever after. Catch her on TikTok at @authortessabailey or check out tessabailey.com for a complete list of books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 11,675 reviews
October 8, 2026
this book ATE UP the marriage of convenience trope!! this sequel was definitely a heavy step up from the previous one. tessa bailey’s writing is always funny and so damn creative. i love these characters so much!! it was giving she’s the black cat to his golden retriever personality. announce to lovers if you will.
natalie vos is so mirrorball coded, it must be studied. i love her bluntness, confidence, and attitude. she’s such a nuanced and layers character, i feel so protective over her. reading about her was refreshing. from her relationship with her parents and brother, to finding her footing in the world…she’s radiant. the way she so unapologetically ROASTS the hell out of August every few pages healed something inside of me. their banter was BANTERING!! she has him held on by a LEASH!!
august…god i need him in a way that is concerning to feminism. he’s so down bad for natalie. he’s so attentive and sensitive that i wish he was real and MINE! he so effortlessly bows at natalie’s feet. calls her princess and cooks for her. the dirty filthy things that came out of him mouth when they were doing the nasty had my jaw dropped. it’s always the sunshine characters 🤭🤭🤭
overall this book was very feel good and had my heart doing backflips. this love is ALIVE!!
anyway here’s some quotes that i can’t get out of my head but aren’t spoilery:
“there’s only me you for me. and there’s only me for you”
“sometimes she looks sad, and I goad her into a fight just to get the kaleidoscope turning in her eyes again." the way this man will move mountains if it means seeing her smile- 🥹
“The whole night was a blur of anything but...her. The way she'd smiled. Her smoke-and-flowers scent. How he'd lost his balance the moment he saw her”
"it fels like... one misstep and i'm going to lose her. i hope it doesn't feel this risky forever, but even if it did, i would stick like glue. she's worth walking through an endless field of landmines."
"you want the truth? I've been through hell week, injuries, training that nearly killed me, giving myself stitches, without so much as an Advil. And none of it, Natalie, is worse, physical torture than being away from you.”
natalie vos is so mirrorball coded, it must be studied. i love her bluntness, confidence, and attitude. she’s such a nuanced and layers character, i feel so protective over her. reading about her was refreshing. from her relationship with her parents and brother, to finding her footing in the world…she’s radiant. the way she so unapologetically ROASTS the hell out of August every few pages healed something inside of me. their banter was BANTERING!! she has him held on by a LEASH!!
august…god i need him in a way that is concerning to feminism. he’s so down bad for natalie. he’s so attentive and sensitive that i wish he was real and MINE! he so effortlessly bows at natalie’s feet. calls her princess and cooks for her. the dirty filthy things that came out of him mouth when they were doing the nasty had my jaw dropped. it’s always the sunshine characters 🤭🤭🤭
overall this book was very feel good and had my heart doing backflips. this love is ALIVE!!
anyway here’s some quotes that i can’t get out of my head but aren’t spoilery:
“there’s only me you for me. and there’s only me for you”
“sometimes she looks sad, and I goad her into a fight just to get the kaleidoscope turning in her eyes again." the way this man will move mountains if it means seeing her smile- 🥹
“The whole night was a blur of anything but...her. The way she'd smiled. Her smoke-and-flowers scent. How he'd lost his balance the moment he saw her”
"it fels like... one misstep and i'm going to lose her. i hope it doesn't feel this risky forever, but even if it did, i would stick like glue. she's worth walking through an endless field of landmines."
"you want the truth? I've been through hell week, injuries, training that nearly killed me, giving myself stitches, without so much as an Advil. And none of it, Natalie, is worse, physical torture than being away from you.”
June 14, 2023
your tits look insane 🥰
April 5, 2024
august is one of the worst love interests i have read about in a very long time.
he made me drier than the arizona desert i grew up in.
the opposite of swoon-worthy.
and i wish i could just leave my review at that, but this was given to me as an ARC and so i feel obligated to at least explain why i didnt enjoy this.
my main lack of enjoyment came from the characters themselves. natalie isnt particularly special in any way. shes your basic run-of-the-mill heroine. and then theres august, who is one of the biggest idiots of all time. so it was impossible for me to believe there was any kind of romance between such a dull princess and massive douche bro. lust? sure. i can believe that 100%. but not for one second did i see any kind of love between these two characters.
which left me asking, what was even the point of this romance novel?
thanks, avon and harper voyage, for the ARC.
↠ 1.5 stars
he made me drier than the arizona desert i grew up in.
the opposite of swoon-worthy.
and i wish i could just leave my review at that, but this was given to me as an ARC and so i feel obligated to at least explain why i didnt enjoy this.
my main lack of enjoyment came from the characters themselves. natalie isnt particularly special in any way. shes your basic run-of-the-mill heroine. and then theres august, who is one of the biggest idiots of all time. so it was impossible for me to believe there was any kind of romance between such a dull princess and massive douche bro. lust? sure. i can believe that 100%. but not for one second did i see any kind of love between these two characters.
which left me asking, what was even the point of this romance novel?
thanks, avon and harper voyage, for the ARC.
↠ 1.5 stars
June 7, 2023
august's dick is a paid actor in this book
June 15, 2023
"I've been through Hell Week, injuries, training that nearly killed me, giving myself stitches without so much as an Advil. And none of it, Natalie is worse physical torture than being away from you."
✔️ Dislike to love
✔️ Marriage of convenience
✔️ He's a war veteran
✔️ He falls first
✔️ Witty banter
✔️ Juicy smut
This book was exactly what I needed. It was perfectly balanced- had a good plot, the characters were nice, swoon worthy and spicy romance. Also, far better than Secretly Yours (tho I still claim Julian).
August and Natalie bring such life to the book. The chemistry and the heat is off the charts. Both of them are likable and confident in their ways. The yearning that they present for each other is chef's kiss 🤌
The spice is so so hot 🥵 Guys, also that flash flood scene 👀🥵💦
Like Julian, August also knows exactly how to turn things up and you won't be disappointed. Mans is head over heels for her. Tho I still prefer Julian. I liked Natalie far better than Hallie. While Hallie was a bit annoying at times, Natalie is someone easy to like and understand. Tho she has a tendency to jump to conclusions without thinking.
One thing I really appreciated about this book and their romance is the fact that they don't keep their feelings locked up and they communicate when the time is right, giving each other the required space and respect to express. THIS 🤌🤌🤌
Things do seem a bit slow in the first half but it picked up fairly quickly after the wedding.
Overall, enjoyed it. Recommend it.
Tessa Bailey is back in the game.
~•~•~
Finally my copy arrived. I really hope this is better than Secretly Yours but let's wait and see 🤞
✔️ Dislike to love
✔️ Marriage of convenience
✔️ He's a war veteran
✔️ He falls first
✔️ Witty banter
✔️ Juicy smut
This book was exactly what I needed. It was perfectly balanced- had a good plot, the characters were nice, swoon worthy and spicy romance. Also, far better than Secretly Yours (tho I still claim Julian).
August and Natalie bring such life to the book. The chemistry and the heat is off the charts. Both of them are likable and confident in their ways. The yearning that they present for each other is chef's kiss 🤌
The spice is so so hot 🥵 Guys, also that flash flood scene 👀🥵💦
Like Julian, August also knows exactly how to turn things up and you won't be disappointed. Mans is head over heels for her. Tho I still prefer Julian. I liked Natalie far better than Hallie. While Hallie was a bit annoying at times, Natalie is someone easy to like and understand. Tho she has a tendency to jump to conclusions without thinking.
One thing I really appreciated about this book and their romance is the fact that they don't keep their feelings locked up and they communicate when the time is right, giving each other the required space and respect to express. THIS 🤌🤌🤌
Things do seem a bit slow in the first half but it picked up fairly quickly after the wedding.
Overall, enjoyed it. Recommend it.
Tessa Bailey is back in the game.
~•~•~
Finally my copy arrived. I really hope this is better than Secretly Yours but let's wait and see 🤞
October 25, 2022
ೃ⁀➷ 4.5 stars *ੈ✩‧₊˚
Them at the beginning of their relationship:
I had sm funnn reading this from start to finish. I didn’t even realise how many pages I’d read until the book finished and I was like wait it’s overrrr 😭😭
The pacing was perrrfect for what I was in the mood for. It’s fast paced and enjoyable ugh I can’t get over how much I adore both characters here.
The way this book rlly surprised me at every turn was exciting bc everything I was predicting about what would happen, didn’t happen and I loved that about this.
Natalie was such an adorable character. She rlly had me cackling with her quick wit. I couldn’t get enough of her and I was always anticipating what she would say next. She would give back as good as she got and I LOVED IT SM
August my silly goofy pookie omfds I just wanna aggressively squeeze his cheeks, hug the shit outta him while rocking side to side ugh- He. Is. Too. Fucking. Cuteeeee. It’s not fair 😩 he would say the most ridiculous things but I loved him all the more for it idk whhyyyyy but he’s such a golden retriever and obsessed w her to the point he passed out and hit his head bc she’s in intense pain 😭🤚
He would notice all her small expressions and understood her. He *worked* hard to earn her trust and love. He didn’t back away from the hard stuff and stayed. I will ALWAYS appreciate when he doesn’t run and is willing to talk it out no matter how painful.
Their communication about their feelings for each other was done so well ugh I wanna hug this book for giving me all these things I love. The small moments were amazing and I felt everything gahhh 🦋🦋
There were soft/sad undertones in this book which was added and I loved the depth it gave to both the characters 🤧❤️🩹
The way he would talk about her plsss it would make me shut the book and stare into space with this face 🥹🥹🥹🥹 (this was when he was being cute) and then like this when he was being HAWT ASF 🤭😋😮💨👹😩
Lmao no bc the smut was 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨 toe curling shit right there.
And the epilogue?? Perfection 🥲🌸💘💕💗
Tessa Bailey is such a reliable author for me bc I know her books will take me out of a slump like this. Her books always scratch that itch you never knew you had.
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
I stayed up till 2am to finish this book it was that good
𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
Definition of a love song - Paige gold
T-Shirt - meyy
Falling in love - Joan
She’s crazy but she’s mine
***
Update: the cover is actually so cute.
***
Marriage of convenience?? Say less.
Them at the beginning of their relationship:
I had sm funnn reading this from start to finish. I didn’t even realise how many pages I’d read until the book finished and I was like wait it’s overrrr 😭😭
The pacing was perrrfect for what I was in the mood for. It’s fast paced and enjoyable ugh I can’t get over how much I adore both characters here.
The way this book rlly surprised me at every turn was exciting bc everything I was predicting about what would happen, didn’t happen and I loved that about this.
Natalie was such an adorable character. She rlly had me cackling with her quick wit. I couldn’t get enough of her and I was always anticipating what she would say next. She would give back as good as she got and I LOVED IT SM
August my silly goofy pookie omfds I just wanna aggressively squeeze his cheeks, hug the shit outta him while rocking side to side ugh- He. Is. Too. Fucking. Cuteeeee. It’s not fair 😩 he would say the most ridiculous things but I loved him all the more for it idk whhyyyyy but he’s such a golden retriever and obsessed w her to the point he passed out and hit his head bc she’s in intense pain 😭🤚
He would notice all her small expressions and understood her. He *worked* hard to earn her trust and love. He didn’t back away from the hard stuff and stayed. I will ALWAYS appreciate when he doesn’t run and is willing to talk it out no matter how painful.
Their communication about their feelings for each other was done so well ugh I wanna hug this book for giving me all these things I love. The small moments were amazing and I felt everything gahhh 🦋🦋
There were soft/sad undertones in this book which was added and I loved the depth it gave to both the characters 🤧❤️🩹
The way he would talk about her plsss it would make me shut the book and stare into space with this face 🥹🥹🥹🥹 (this was when he was being cute) and then like this when he was being HAWT ASF 🤭😋😮💨👹😩
Lmao no bc the smut was 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨 toe curling shit right there.
And the epilogue?? Perfection 🥲🌸💘💕💗
Tessa Bailey is such a reliable author for me bc I know her books will take me out of a slump like this. Her books always scratch that itch you never knew you had.
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
I stayed up till 2am to finish this book it was that good
𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
Definition of a love song - Paige gold
T-Shirt - meyy
Falling in love - Joan
She’s crazy but she’s mine
***
Update: the cover is actually so cute.
***
Marriage of convenience?? Say less.
March 13, 2023
This book gave off strong Republican energy, and his dirty talk made me feel violated.
May 31, 2023
I have to admit, in the first book of the series, I didn't quite connect with Julien and Hallie's story. However, from the moment Natalie, Julian's hotshot Wall Street aspiring businesswoman sister, entered the scene, my interest was piqued. And when I stumbled upon the blurb that promised a delicious combination of enemies to lovers and fake marriage, I couldn't resist diving headfirst into the world of ex-Navy SEAL August and the betrayed, privileged, smart, and tough cookie Natalie. The prospect of their intense chemistry, the kind that can make your pants melt and leave you hyperventilating, was too enticing to pass up. So, blindfolded and ready for the wild ride, I embarked on their journey of financial benefits, where they were equally likely to rip each other's clothes off or each other's throats. Yes, hate-like sex was always on the table! And let me tell you, I became fully engaged with their characters and their story.
The tension between Natalie and August crackled like a bonfire, with sparks flying through their witty banters and the sizzling heat that seemed to radiate from every page. It was like their chemistry had a life of its own, setting the chapters ablaze with its intensity. It became impossible to resist the allure of their love story, which was as tempting as a decadent dessert and as addictive as your favorite guilty pleasure.
But let's rewind a bit and set the stage for their fiery romance. It all began when Natalie found herself trapped in the family vineyard, forced to endure the relentless noise of her brother Julian and his girlfriend's amorous escapades. As if that wasn't enough, she also had to contend with her mother's constant criticism and dismissal of her ideas for the family business. It was as if her mother still saw her as the troubled drunk teenager who had brought shame upon the family name. Natalie desperately needed an escape route back to New York, a chance to avenge her ex-fiancé who had callously abandoned her after a business deal went sour, leaving her as the scapegoat for the entire disastrous investment.
And so, the stage was set for Natalie's grand plan: to secure the funds for her new business idea and make use of her trust fund. The only catch? The strict condition that she must get married. Enter August Cates, a financially struggling winery owner with his own set of troubles. In a desperate bid to secure a bank loan and keep his dreams afloat, August agrees to Natalie's proposal, despite their history of clashes and public fights. Little did they know that their journey to their dreamy opportunities would blur the line between love and hate, revealing a connection that neither of them could resist. Perhaps this marriage wasn't just a convenient arrangement but a chance for them to discover that they were meant for each other all along, even amidst their initial animosity.
I wholeheartedly recommend this heartwarming, sweet, and undeniably steamy novel that will sweep you off your feet and leave you craving more. August and Natalie are a perfect match, and their love story is one you won't want to miss.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager/Avon for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this captivating read. In exchange, I offer my honest and enthusiastic review, as this book truly deserves all the praise it can get. So, grab a copy, buckle up, and prepare to be whisked away into the captivating world of August and Natalie's love affair. Enjoy the ride!
medium.com
instagram
facebook
twitter
The tension between Natalie and August crackled like a bonfire, with sparks flying through their witty banters and the sizzling heat that seemed to radiate from every page. It was like their chemistry had a life of its own, setting the chapters ablaze with its intensity. It became impossible to resist the allure of their love story, which was as tempting as a decadent dessert and as addictive as your favorite guilty pleasure.
But let's rewind a bit and set the stage for their fiery romance. It all began when Natalie found herself trapped in the family vineyard, forced to endure the relentless noise of her brother Julian and his girlfriend's amorous escapades. As if that wasn't enough, she also had to contend with her mother's constant criticism and dismissal of her ideas for the family business. It was as if her mother still saw her as the troubled drunk teenager who had brought shame upon the family name. Natalie desperately needed an escape route back to New York, a chance to avenge her ex-fiancé who had callously abandoned her after a business deal went sour, leaving her as the scapegoat for the entire disastrous investment.
And so, the stage was set for Natalie's grand plan: to secure the funds for her new business idea and make use of her trust fund. The only catch? The strict condition that she must get married. Enter August Cates, a financially struggling winery owner with his own set of troubles. In a desperate bid to secure a bank loan and keep his dreams afloat, August agrees to Natalie's proposal, despite their history of clashes and public fights. Little did they know that their journey to their dreamy opportunities would blur the line between love and hate, revealing a connection that neither of them could resist. Perhaps this marriage wasn't just a convenient arrangement but a chance for them to discover that they were meant for each other all along, even amidst their initial animosity.
I wholeheartedly recommend this heartwarming, sweet, and undeniably steamy novel that will sweep you off your feet and leave you craving more. August and Natalie are a perfect match, and their love story is one you won't want to miss.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager/Avon for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this captivating read. In exchange, I offer my honest and enthusiastic review, as this book truly deserves all the praise it can get. So, grab a copy, buckle up, and prepare to be whisked away into the captivating world of August and Natalie's love affair. Enjoy the ride!
medium.com
May 26, 2023
2.5 stars
This was better than the first book (maybe it’s the trope), but it was still all too much too fast and too cringy for me. Two problems I seem to have with most of TB’s books. I didn’t have much luck with this series. It was just so unfortunately forgettable.
Huge Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this copy. I wish I could’ve loved it more.
This was better than the first book (maybe it’s the trope), but it was still all too much too fast and too cringy for me. Two problems I seem to have with most of TB’s books. I didn’t have much luck with this series. It was just so unfortunately forgettable.
Huge Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this copy. I wish I could’ve loved it more.
August 18, 2022
"I can’t breathe for loving you and loving you is the only way I can breathe."
Oh to have an ex-Navy SEAL travel 3000 miles to declare his undying love for you and loses his shit when someone crosses you.
**
TESSA BAILEY IS WRITING A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE ROMANCE???? TAKE MY MONEY PLS. AND THE COVER IS SO CUTE I'M SO IN LOVE
Oh to have an ex-Navy SEAL travel 3000 miles to declare his undying love for you and loses his shit when someone crosses you.
**
TESSA BAILEY IS WRITING A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE ROMANCE???? TAKE MY MONEY PLS. AND THE COVER IS SO CUTE I'M SO IN LOVE
June 6, 2023
4.5 ⭐️ A spicy, marriage of convenience story that's one of Tessa Bailey's best!
"If I had one wish, it would be to slow down my time with you, Natalie. A hundred years won't be enough."
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ napa valley setting
✨ he's a war veteran trying and failing to produce wine to honor a friend's dreams
✨ she's got fired from her finance job, dumped by her fiance, and went back home to get trust fund money to start a new business
✨ marriage of convenience
✨ instant attraction
✨ hate to love
✨ he falls first
✨ denial of feelings (fmc)
✨ lots of tension
✨ hilarious, snarky banter
✨ 2.5/5 spice
✨ "my girl", "princess", "babe"
✨ complicated family dynamics
✨ lie by omission (because they secretly want to get married to each other)
✨ HEA
✨ dual pov
My Thoughts:
I was nervous about this book since I didn't really like Secretly Yours (2.5 stars), but this was so much fun and, in my opinion, one of the best Tessa Bailey novels! She really knocked it out of the park!
Here's what I liked:
August is such a fantastic MMC! He's a burly ex-Navy SEAL - loyal, honest, caring, kind, and protective. He sunk all his money into making wine to honor his late best friend and fellow soldier since it was his dream *cue to waterworks*. He's just a huge teddy bear that could snap you in half. Oh he's also a cat dad *swoon*. But best of all, he's a BIG, FREAKING SIMP for the heroine, Natalie. He falls fast, hard, and is so far gone, she can do absolutely no wrong. All August wants is for Natalie to be happy and safe, and he will do everything in his power to make it so.
This quote just about sums up his feelings: "As long as you need me, Natalie, I'm with you. Whatever you decide, whatever happens, I'm your goddamn man."
Natalie is such a relatable heroine. Natalie is feisty, witty, and hardworking. She had everything going for her until it comes crumbling down, and now she has to pick up the pieces. Seeing her struggle with feeling worthy was something I really relate to. She never feels like she's good enough and always feels like she's failing the expectations set for her by her mother, ex-fiance, and people in her field of work. But August is the first person to really make her feel seen and appreciated for just being herself (with no expectations), and this is an incredibly healing experience for her. I loved seeing her grow and discover who she is.
August also works through some struggles. As a military man, he's not good at feeling helpless. He was there the day Sam died and has lived with guilt ever since. It was his job to protect Sam, and he failed. So the winery is a way for him to honor and atone, in a way. But August feels he needs to do this on his own and ends up shutting Natalie out, which further triggers her feelings of not being enough. Eventually, August realizes he made mistakes and makes it his mission to fix them. Watching him work through this was really lovely.
August and Natalie are 100% soulmates! I don't usually believe in soulmates in real life or in fiction, but these two are it. You can fight me on this. They are passionate, messy, fun, honest, and open. Plus, they actually communicate (thanks to Gus), which is so key to every successful relationship. They support each other and really helped each other heal. I enjoyed seeing their love grow and deepen. And they were so much fun with their banter and pranks! They are my favorite Tessa Bailey couple! I absolutely adore them!
The spice actually got me feeling hot and bothered. One of my usual hangups about Tessa Bailey is the cringe dialogue during sexy moments. While there were some (see below), they were few and far between compared to the delicious, filthy things that came out of August's mouth. For example:
All of the sexy moments were HOT AF, and I ate that sh*t up! I now need my own husband to start calling me 'my wife.'
The epilogue was perfection! I don't want to spoil it, but seriously, August made me melt all over again. He would do anything for his family! You're going to love it!
Here's what I didn't like:
It’s mentioned so many times, and in so many ways, that August is a big oaf. Wording like, 'big lug', 'brute', and 'bonehead' is used to describe him. And here are a few phrases that support these sentiments as well: “he used all his brain power,” "poor man-brain working overtime,” “It made her want to walk into his stupid muscular arms and whack him in the head with an encyclopedia." If it were said once or twice, I’d be okay with it. But the repetitive use made it seem like he actually was an idiot, which then I was wondering why someone like Natalie would be into a big dummy. He's not actually an idiot, though, so it annoyed me he was being unfairly picked on.
While most of the dirty talk didn’t bother me, some of it did. For example:
"Jesus. My balls have never gotten so heavy so fast in my life. Pretty sure every drop of blood in my head just went south. Give me like... eight seconds to make sure I'm not going to pass out."
I think the first two sentences should be inner thoughts, and maybe the last one could have been actual dialogue because no one would say that stuff in real life.
Also, I still don't like Haille from Secretly Yours. She doesn’t play a big role, but she makes an appearance, but I found her character to still be annoying. At least it was consistent with Book 1.
Overall, I loved Unfortunately Yours and 100% recommend reading! It’s one of my favorite marriage of convenience stories along with King of Wrath by Ana Huang.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the eARC and Avon for a finished copy in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Favorite Quotes:
"You know what we'd be doing if we were alone."
"Fighting?"
"Fucking."
_____
"Christ, just thinking about you sitting on my face might finish me."
"You want me to - "
"I'm not above begging."
_____
"I love fucking my wife. I feel it in my chest, you know? It's never been like this. it's never going to be like this again, for either of us. All right? We found it."
_____
"Her heart beat like a song that he could follow out of the darkness."
_____
"I need my wife. I'll always fucking need my wife."
_____
"He never would have wanted me to succeed at his dream. . . at the cost of you." His eyes found their way back to her. "Because you're my dream."
_____
"If I had one wish, it would be to slow down my time with you, Natalie. A hundred years won't be enough."
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ napa valley setting
✨ he's a war veteran trying and failing to produce wine to honor a friend's dreams
✨ she's got fired from her finance job, dumped by her fiance, and went back home to get trust fund money to start a new business
✨ marriage of convenience
✨ instant attraction
✨ hate to love
✨ he falls first
✨ denial of feelings (fmc)
✨ lots of tension
✨ hilarious, snarky banter
✨ 2.5/5 spice
✨ "my girl", "princess", "babe"
✨ complicated family dynamics
✨ lie by omission (because they secretly want to get married to each other)
✨ HEA
✨ dual pov
My Thoughts:
I was nervous about this book since I didn't really like Secretly Yours (2.5 stars), but this was so much fun and, in my opinion, one of the best Tessa Bailey novels! She really knocked it out of the park!
Here's what I liked:
August is such a fantastic MMC! He's a burly ex-Navy SEAL - loyal, honest, caring, kind, and protective. He sunk all his money into making wine to honor his late best friend and fellow soldier since it was his dream *cue to waterworks*. He's just a huge teddy bear that could snap you in half. Oh he's also a cat dad *swoon*. But best of all, he's a BIG, FREAKING SIMP for the heroine, Natalie. He falls fast, hard, and is so far gone, she can do absolutely no wrong. All August wants is for Natalie to be happy and safe, and he will do everything in his power to make it so.
This quote just about sums up his feelings: "As long as you need me, Natalie, I'm with you. Whatever you decide, whatever happens, I'm your goddamn man."
Natalie is such a relatable heroine. Natalie is feisty, witty, and hardworking. She had everything going for her until it comes crumbling down, and now she has to pick up the pieces. Seeing her struggle with feeling worthy was something I really relate to. She never feels like she's good enough and always feels like she's failing the expectations set for her by her mother, ex-fiance, and people in her field of work. But August is the first person to really make her feel seen and appreciated for just being herself (with no expectations), and this is an incredibly healing experience for her. I loved seeing her grow and discover who she is.
August also works through some struggles. As a military man, he's not good at feeling helpless. He was there the day Sam died and has lived with guilt ever since. It was his job to protect Sam, and he failed. So the winery is a way for him to honor and atone, in a way. But August feels he needs to do this on his own and ends up shutting Natalie out, which further triggers her feelings of not being enough. Eventually, August realizes he made mistakes and makes it his mission to fix them. Watching him work through this was really lovely.
August and Natalie are 100% soulmates! I don't usually believe in soulmates in real life or in fiction, but these two are it. You can fight me on this. They are passionate, messy, fun, honest, and open. Plus, they actually communicate (thanks to Gus), which is so key to every successful relationship. They support each other and really helped each other heal. I enjoyed seeing their love grow and deepen. And they were so much fun with their banter and pranks! They are my favorite Tessa Bailey couple! I absolutely adore them!
The spice actually got me feeling hot and bothered. One of my usual hangups about Tessa Bailey is the cringe dialogue during sexy moments. While there were some (see below), they were few and far between compared to the delicious, filthy things that came out of August's mouth. For example:
"Tell me the truth. You thought I would throw you into missionary, come in sixty seconds, and fall asleep. Didn't you?"
"Yes. No." she babbled, rocking furiously in his lap. "I don't know."
"Not with my wife."
Without warning, he flipped Natalie onto her back and drove her up the bed with one savage pump of his hips. "I'll be earning the right every single day to come inside pussy this good."
All of the sexy moments were HOT AF, and I ate that sh*t up! I now need my own husband to start calling me 'my wife.'
The epilogue was perfection! I don't want to spoil it, but seriously, August made me melt all over again. He would do anything for his family! You're going to love it!
Here's what I didn't like:
It’s mentioned so many times, and in so many ways, that August is a big oaf. Wording like, 'big lug', 'brute', and 'bonehead' is used to describe him. And here are a few phrases that support these sentiments as well: “he used all his brain power,” "poor man-brain working overtime,” “It made her want to walk into his stupid muscular arms and whack him in the head with an encyclopedia." If it were said once or twice, I’d be okay with it. But the repetitive use made it seem like he actually was an idiot, which then I was wondering why someone like Natalie would be into a big dummy. He's not actually an idiot, though, so it annoyed me he was being unfairly picked on.
While most of the dirty talk didn’t bother me, some of it did. For example:
"Jesus. My balls have never gotten so heavy so fast in my life. Pretty sure every drop of blood in my head just went south. Give me like... eight seconds to make sure I'm not going to pass out."
I think the first two sentences should be inner thoughts, and maybe the last one could have been actual dialogue because no one would say that stuff in real life.
Also, I still don't like Haille from Secretly Yours. She doesn’t play a big role, but she makes an appearance, but I found her character to still be annoying. At least it was consistent with Book 1.
Overall, I loved Unfortunately Yours and 100% recommend reading! It’s one of my favorite marriage of convenience stories along with King of Wrath by Ana Huang.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the eARC and Avon for a finished copy in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Favorite Quotes:
"You know what we'd be doing if we were alone."
"Fighting?"
"Fucking."
_____
"Christ, just thinking about you sitting on my face might finish me."
"You want me to - "
"I'm not above begging."
_____
"I love fucking my wife. I feel it in my chest, you know? It's never been like this. it's never going to be like this again, for either of us. All right? We found it."
_____
"Her heart beat like a song that he could follow out of the darkness."
_____
"I need my wife. I'll always fucking need my wife."
_____
"He never would have wanted me to succeed at his dream. . . at the cost of you." His eyes found their way back to her. "Because you're my dream."
_____
May 10, 2023
*deep sigh*
It’s better than the first book in the series, which made me itch for that 2 maaaaaaybe even 3 ⭐️ BUT I realized that comparing this to Secretly Yours would essentially be the same thing as comparing this to my Wattpad fanfiction from 2012: pointless, as both of those works are utter shite (sorry sofie from the past, but you spelled immediately like immedyatly in that book…)
Anyways, let’s get back into the review, shall we? Here’s the thing, I always write long fkn reviews when it comes to Bailey because she’s rapidly going from one of my faves to something equivalent to me in 2012 (with better grammar, I suppose). And frankly, it’s sad to see.
I need answers Tessa. Did you swap bodies with Andrew Tate à la Freaky Friday? Were you recruited into the Alpha 😈💪🔥 big-arms-tiny-dick army? Did ya watch one too many of those TikTok podcasts where the women go ”ugh I would never wear makeup” and the men go ”i like f*cking women the same way I like my meat- RAAAAAAW 👹”.
I’m asking this BECAUSE WTF HAS HAPPENED WITH YOUR CHARACTERS?
Natalie was fine, but August? The guy that I’m meant to swoon over and think ”mm mmm mmmm another ficitional character raising standards” was a creep. Sure, Tessa’s books are famous for alpha male heroes but it doesn’t work if his thoughts are either just man-must-argue-with woman or man-must-f*ck-pretty-woman. August is a caveman, with wavering ideas on consent (bombastic sideeye at the 💍-thing) and quite icky comments. SPOILER ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ (I don’t know how to put a warning for specific parts yet BUT) the whole thing about him going through with a fake marriage when he didn’t have to anymore, knowing Natalie didn’t actually want to get married for real, felt weird and violating.
I miss the strong female leads that took no BS. I miss the strong but softie heroes that are known for their genuine adoration of said female leads. I’ve been missing these characters in the last four releases from TB, and honestly? I think I’m done holding out hope that they might come back.
It’s better than the first book in the series, which made me itch for that 2 maaaaaaybe even 3 ⭐️ BUT I realized that comparing this to Secretly Yours would essentially be the same thing as comparing this to my Wattpad fanfiction from 2012: pointless, as both of those works are utter shite (sorry sofie from the past, but you spelled immediately like immedyatly in that book…)
Anyways, let’s get back into the review, shall we? Here’s the thing, I always write long fkn reviews when it comes to Bailey because she’s rapidly going from one of my faves to something equivalent to me in 2012 (with better grammar, I suppose). And frankly, it’s sad to see.
I need answers Tessa. Did you swap bodies with Andrew Tate à la Freaky Friday? Were you recruited into the Alpha 😈💪🔥 big-arms-tiny-dick army? Did ya watch one too many of those TikTok podcasts where the women go ”ugh I would never wear makeup” and the men go ”i like f*cking women the same way I like my meat- RAAAAAAW 👹”.
I’m asking this BECAUSE WTF HAS HAPPENED WITH YOUR CHARACTERS?
Natalie was fine, but August? The guy that I’m meant to swoon over and think ”mm mmm mmmm another ficitional character raising standards” was a creep. Sure, Tessa’s books are famous for alpha male heroes but it doesn’t work if his thoughts are either just man-must-argue-with woman or man-must-f*ck-pretty-woman. August is a caveman, with wavering ideas on consent (bombastic sideeye at the 💍-thing) and quite icky comments. SPOILER ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ (I don’t know how to put a warning for specific parts yet BUT) the whole thing about him going through with a fake marriage when he didn’t have to anymore, knowing Natalie didn’t actually want to get married for real, felt weird and violating.
I miss the strong female leads that took no BS. I miss the strong but softie heroes that are known for their genuine adoration of said female leads. I’ve been missing these characters in the last four releases from TB, and honestly? I think I’m done holding out hope that they might come back.
Want to Read
November 19, 2022the devil works hard but tessa bailey works harder 🥱
August 9, 2023
I used to get excited to read Tessa Bailey. Now I just feel dread.
Okay that might be dramatic as hell but I implore you to read these quotes and tell me I’m not wrong..
- “You’ve got a bunch of black shit on your eyes.” — august says this to Natalie when she’s wearing eyeliner.. like okay Tessa we get it you like women who don’t wear makeup.
- “Look, might as well warn you, I’m going to get hard.” August says this when Natalie falls into his lap.. is he going through puberty like how can he not control that???
- “Just so we’re clear, Natalie, I wouldn’t have any problem fending off some city boy in loafers.” Please tell me that my vaginal walls did not flex in response to that. literally what ?????
- “Natalie? What are you . . .” If he was a cartoon dog, his tongue would have rolled out of his mouth. “Are those your tits?” again… literally what???? Tessa’s obsession with *tits* is so fucking weird as an adult woman.
- “I’m not good at arguing while my dick is in eggplant form. truly is this man ok
- “Your tits look insane.” And then 30 pages later “Have I told you lately that your tits are insane?” 1. He said this at their WEDDING. 2. do I need to say more about this
- His hips were moving in a battering rhythm, cock harder than a fucking mallet, I wish I was making this shit up
- My dick is like the end of a hockey stick right now. like this man might actually need to see a doctor.
- “Crossed the motherfucking country for this tight wife pussy.” please for the love of god make it end.
Like has Tessa always been this fucking cringe or am I just done with her as an author? I truly will not be picking up a book by her bc her last like 4 books have been complete DUDS. Like Tessa, at what point do you just stop churning out books every 2 months and actually sit down and write a good one?
Okay that might be dramatic as hell but I implore you to read these quotes and tell me I’m not wrong..
- “You’ve got a bunch of black shit on your eyes.” — august says this to Natalie when she’s wearing eyeliner.. like okay Tessa we get it you like women who don’t wear makeup.
- “Look, might as well warn you, I’m going to get hard.” August says this when Natalie falls into his lap.. is he going through puberty like how can he not control that???
- “Just so we’re clear, Natalie, I wouldn’t have any problem fending off some city boy in loafers.” Please tell me that my vaginal walls did not flex in response to that. literally what ?????
- “Natalie? What are you . . .” If he was a cartoon dog, his tongue would have rolled out of his mouth. “Are those your tits?” again… literally what???? Tessa’s obsession with *tits* is so fucking weird as an adult woman.
- “I’m not good at arguing while my dick is in eggplant form. truly is this man ok
- “Your tits look insane.” And then 30 pages later “Have I told you lately that your tits are insane?” 1. He said this at their WEDDING. 2. do I need to say more about this
- His hips were moving in a battering rhythm, cock harder than a fucking mallet, I wish I was making this shit up
- My dick is like the end of a hockey stick right now. like this man might actually need to see a doctor.
- “Crossed the motherfucking country for this tight wife pussy.” please for the love of god make it end.
Like has Tessa always been this fucking cringe or am I just done with her as an author? I truly will not be picking up a book by her bc her last like 4 books have been complete DUDS. Like Tessa, at what point do you just stop churning out books every 2 months and actually sit down and write a good one?
June 2, 2023
*3.5 stars*
My feelings for Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey are ALL over the place: Part of me sort of loved it and part of me rolled my eyes the whole time. With my rating, I sort of met in the middle, but rest assured, this book is eons better than Secretly Yours.
I read a review a couple of days ago that said this book had "big republican energy," and it's almost hard to write my review because that really encapsulates a lot of the feeling of this book. It's so fantasyland, trad-wife vibes that I almost laughed at parts. I mean, big, hot Navy Seal wins over his marriage-of-convenience wife with his show of strength and giant d!ck and convinces her that she doesn't need the big city life after all! That's the long and short of it, actually...
Tessa Bailey really shines at her dirty talk, and she did it well again here. I have to hand it to her, she goes for it. I adored the banter and enemies-to-lovers sexy vibes. Yes, the Navy Seal man-handling his bride and insisting on hours of pleasuring her with his mouth while growling worshipful things may be a little... much (and made my husband snort-laugh), but at least they had chemistry. The writing was miles better than in the first book (which you could read for some background knowledge but isn't necessary).
I was a little let down by how far this book stuck to the romance tried and true tropes, which made it feel a bit dated (IMO), but Tessa seems to know what she does well and leaned in hard with those strengths. Overall, this book was very fun to read, even if I cringed at times, and humongous Navy Seals saving the day and WINE are never bad things.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram|twitter|tiktok
My feelings for Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey are ALL over the place: Part of me sort of loved it and part of me rolled my eyes the whole time. With my rating, I sort of met in the middle, but rest assured, this book is eons better than Secretly Yours.
I read a review a couple of days ago that said this book had "big republican energy," and it's almost hard to write my review because that really encapsulates a lot of the feeling of this book. It's so fantasyland, trad-wife vibes that I almost laughed at parts. I mean, big, hot Navy Seal wins over his marriage-of-convenience wife with his show of strength and giant d!ck and convinces her that she doesn't need the big city life after all! That's the long and short of it, actually...
Tessa Bailey really shines at her dirty talk, and she did it well again here. I have to hand it to her, she goes for it. I adored the banter and enemies-to-lovers sexy vibes. Yes, the Navy Seal man-handling his bride and insisting on hours of pleasuring her with his mouth while growling worshipful things may be a little... much (and made my husband snort-laugh), but at least they had chemistry. The writing was miles better than in the first book (which you could read for some background knowledge but isn't necessary).
I was a little let down by how far this book stuck to the romance tried and true tropes, which made it feel a bit dated (IMO), but Tessa seems to know what she does well and leaned in hard with those strengths. Overall, this book was very fun to read, even if I cringed at times, and humongous Navy Seals saving the day and WINE are never bad things.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram|twitter|tiktok
May 5, 2023
Gahhh the chemistry was amazing in this book. I loved Natalie & August's banter and again the chemistry was awesome. I also loved the fake marriage trope in this, I've learned I'm a sucker for that trope. This was definitely my favorite book in the series.
November 27, 2023
Writing: fun | Plot: solid marriage of convenience | Ending: epilogue on point
MY OPINION
After the hot mess that was Same Time Next Year I was scared to pick this up but I'm glad I did. Idk who wrote STNY, but it wasn't Tessa Bailey. Or maybe it was, and it wasn't Tessa Bailey who wrote this??? Either way, I have a hard time believing this was the same author. The writing was MUCH better. I'm definitely curious to check out more of Bailey's books to see what she's really about. Also, her TikToks are funny.
HOWEVERRRR the sex scenes were borderline sex crimes. This is wide open door spice. And in some cases, wide open CAR door. Eating ass in the flash flood? That wasn't on the weather report (SORRY I HAD TO). Moving on...
I LOVED the banter between August (yikes at this name) and Natalie when they were in their 'enemies' era. It reminded me of the jabs between Holt and Wuntch in Brooklyn 99. Very creative. Very many low blows (my fave). I wouldn't really call this enemies-to-lovers because August was more butthurt that his big mouth cockblocked his ass, and Natalie was just going through it and taking it out on everyone. I did like them together for the most part. Between this and Christmas in Coconut Creek, do I like military men....??????
I'm a super slut for marriage of convenience but it's not an easy trope to pull off. Yes, the timeline was hella fast (gonna give it a pass because he's military LOL) but the 'reasons' for their marriage was as good as it can get IMO. Other than fulfilling a clause to cash out your inheritance/trust, the only other 'acceptable' reasons would be healthcare (US ONLY LOL) like in Would You Rather.
All in all, an enjoyable read. Idk how Gen-Zers would fair with this one because they are the eighth wonder of the world but as a cringey 30-year-old millennial, I found this funny, fast-paced, and entertaining.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: MUCH better than STNY, punchy writing, great banter between August and Natalie ('there's a thin line between love and hate' personified), good execution of marriage of convenience trope, just fun vibes
Cons: super fast timeline, cringy spice but we shall prevail
___
Check out my YouTube and my TikTok
MY OPINION
After the hot mess that was Same Time Next Year I was scared to pick this up but I'm glad I did. Idk who wrote STNY, but it wasn't Tessa Bailey. Or maybe it was, and it wasn't Tessa Bailey who wrote this??? Either way, I have a hard time believing this was the same author. The writing was MUCH better. I'm definitely curious to check out more of Bailey's books to see what she's really about. Also, her TikToks are funny.
HOWEVERRRR the sex scenes were borderline sex crimes. This is wide open door spice. And in some cases, wide open CAR door. Eating ass in the flash flood? That wasn't on the weather report (SORRY I HAD TO). Moving on...
I LOVED the banter between August (yikes at this name) and Natalie when they were in their 'enemies' era. It reminded me of the jabs between Holt and Wuntch in Brooklyn 99. Very creative. Very many low blows (my fave). I wouldn't really call this enemies-to-lovers because August was more butthurt that his big mouth cockblocked his ass, and Natalie was just going through it and taking it out on everyone. I did like them together for the most part. Between this and Christmas in Coconut Creek, do I like military men....??????
I'm a super slut for marriage of convenience but it's not an easy trope to pull off. Yes, the timeline was hella fast (gonna give it a pass because he's military LOL) but the 'reasons' for their marriage was as good as it can get IMO. Other than fulfilling a clause to cash out your inheritance/trust, the only other 'acceptable' reasons would be healthcare (US ONLY LOL) like in Would You Rather.
All in all, an enjoyable read. Idk how Gen-Zers would fair with this one because they are the eighth wonder of the world but as a cringey 30-year-old millennial, I found this funny, fast-paced, and entertaining.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: MUCH better than STNY, punchy writing, great banter between August and Natalie ('there's a thin line between love and hate' personified), good execution of marriage of convenience trope, just fun vibes
Cons: super fast timeline, cringy spice but we shall prevail
___
Check out my YouTube and my TikTok
July 10, 2023
If you like books where the lead can’t stop saying how tall the man is, how broad he is, how can he find clothes with shoulders like that, he’s taller then any man who has ever live, and more continuous back to back sentences about it. This is for you.
Natalie and August couldn’t STFU for two seconds... So much inner dialogue when it wasn’t needed and far too much outer dialogue at times where you didn’t want it.
Tessa Bailey I feel has fallen into the same category Christina Lauren is for me... Their original stuff was just so much better.
Natalie and August couldn’t STFU for two seconds... So much inner dialogue when it wasn’t needed and far too much outer dialogue at times where you didn’t want it.
Tessa Bailey I feel has fallen into the same category Christina Lauren is for me... Their original stuff was just so much better.
July 19, 2024
╰┈➤ 3.5 stars!
this is far by the best marriage of convenience trope i read this year! this book was a lot more enjoyable to read compared to the first book!
౨ৎ natalie. i loooove her personality so much!! she’s such a blunt woman who just roasts august unapologetically!! her quick responses to him just made me cackle all the damn time! also, i just wanna give her the best hug and protect her from this harsh world because this girl is AMAZING and even though not everyone saw that as fast as august did, they still came around!
౨ৎ august. this man was literally born to worship the ground natalie walks on. i can’t believe i’ll say this but he’s the only exception where i didn’t get the ick when he calls her “princess.” don’t even start with his dirty talking OMG 🤭😩
overall, this book had the perfect pacing for me and i loved it sm!! it just made the whole series sm better!
this is far by the best marriage of convenience trope i read this year! this book was a lot more enjoyable to read compared to the first book!
౨ৎ natalie. i loooove her personality so much!! she’s such a blunt woman who just roasts august unapologetically!! her quick responses to him just made me cackle all the damn time! also, i just wanna give her the best hug and protect her from this harsh world because this girl is AMAZING and even though not everyone saw that as fast as august did, they still came around!
౨ৎ august. this man was literally born to worship the ground natalie walks on. i can’t believe i’ll say this but he’s the only exception where i didn’t get the ick when he calls her “princess.” don’t even start with his dirty talking OMG 🤭😩
overall, this book had the perfect pacing for me and i loved it sm!! it just made the whole series sm better!
May 29, 2023
the banter 🤌🏼 I could not put this shit down. this might have replaced it happened one summer as my favourite tessa bailey book.
September 8, 2023
“You’re the most important person in my life, Natalie. You always will be.”
This book was so good! This was a fun and heartwarming romantic comedy about love, finding your purpose, and family. Unfortunately Yours follows Natalie who was recently fired from her job and needs money from her trust fund for her next business opportunity. But Natalie realizes that she must get married before the trust fund is released. Natalie decides to make a deal with August, he will marry her, but only if he is given a bank loan for his vineyard. Will Natalie and August develop feelings for each other or will they leave?
I was engaged in this romance book from the first page. The pacing was great and the plot was interesting. I really liked the writing style it was witty and easy to follow. The characters are complex and relatable. I love Natalie, she is hardworking, strong, determined, brave, smart and caring. Natalie's character development was excellent, I'm glad that she discovered her purpose and realized that her family does care for her. I'm in love with August, he is funny, charming, loving, loyal, protective, sweet and will do anything for Natalie. August is also relatable, he made mistakes, but he made sure to fix the mistakes right away and apologize. There were a few scenes where I didn't agree with the decision August made at first, but i'm glad he made up for it. I loved that August is stern and has walls up, but once you get to know him, he's such a teddy bear for Natalie. The chemistry and tension between Natalie and August was amazing! The spice was so hot! The banter between August and Natalie was great, it made me laugh so much. I was swooning and blushing at several steamy scenes. I appreciated how the author discussed grief and anxiety, she showed that it's a long and challenging process. The ending was so good, I'm so happy that the ending was happy.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves romantic comedies, marriage of convenience, great chemistry and great characters.
This book was so good! This was a fun and heartwarming romantic comedy about love, finding your purpose, and family. Unfortunately Yours follows Natalie who was recently fired from her job and needs money from her trust fund for her next business opportunity. But Natalie realizes that she must get married before the trust fund is released. Natalie decides to make a deal with August, he will marry her, but only if he is given a bank loan for his vineyard. Will Natalie and August develop feelings for each other or will they leave?
I was engaged in this romance book from the first page. The pacing was great and the plot was interesting. I really liked the writing style it was witty and easy to follow. The characters are complex and relatable. I love Natalie, she is hardworking, strong, determined, brave, smart and caring. Natalie's character development was excellent, I'm glad that she discovered her purpose and realized that her family does care for her. I'm in love with August, he is funny, charming, loving, loyal, protective, sweet and will do anything for Natalie. August is also relatable, he made mistakes, but he made sure to fix the mistakes right away and apologize. There were a few scenes where I didn't agree with the decision August made at first, but i'm glad he made up for it. I loved that August is stern and has walls up, but once you get to know him, he's such a teddy bear for Natalie. The chemistry and tension between Natalie and August was amazing! The spice was so hot! The banter between August and Natalie was great, it made me laugh so much. I was swooning and blushing at several steamy scenes. I appreciated how the author discussed grief and anxiety, she showed that it's a long and challenging process. The ending was so good, I'm so happy that the ending was happy.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves romantic comedies, marriage of convenience, great chemistry and great characters.
June 28, 2023
3.5 stars
First off, if you’re going to read this book do yourself a favor and check out the audiobook. Callie Dalton does an incredible job at narrating! Unfortunately Yours is a fun and at times over the top marriage of convince by Tessa Bailey. It’s a ‘he falls first’ and the hero is possessive and obsessed in the best way. It took a while for me to connect with the heroine, but with time I liked her too. I enjoyed the romance overall, I wish it would have went deeper into the hero’s past and grief and we would have gotten more time with them as an established couple.
First off, if you’re going to read this book do yourself a favor and check out the audiobook. Callie Dalton does an incredible job at narrating! Unfortunately Yours is a fun and at times over the top marriage of convince by Tessa Bailey. It’s a ‘he falls first’ and the hero is possessive and obsessed in the best way. It took a while for me to connect with the heroine, but with time I liked her too. I enjoyed the romance overall, I wish it would have went deeper into the hero’s past and grief and we would have gotten more time with them as an established couple.
Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Callie Dalton
Narration Rating: 5 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 10h 52m
June 17, 2023
why do tessa bailey’s heroes always “come like a motherfucker?” what does that even mean?
April 15, 2024
Tessa Bailey never lets me down!! I really enjoyed the first book in this series and Unfortunately Yours (book #2) is even better! This is an easy, fun read and I flew through it. August is super swoon worthy and masculine, a former veteran, and I just loved his character. The banter between him and Natalie was very entertaining, and they had so much chemistry. This book was a spicy one!!
Thank you, Net Galley, and Avon and Harper Voyager, for a copy in return of my honest review.
Thank you, Net Galley, and Avon and Harper Voyager, for a copy in return of my honest review.
November 15, 2024
a man that would literally do anything for his girl is suchhhh a win in my book 😭😭 rtc
pre-read: libby had this available as audio so 🤭 let’s see how it goes!
pre-read: libby had this available as audio so 🤭 let’s see how it goes!
June 11, 2023
OK, Tessa! After Secretly Yours I was worried this would be another disaster, but the dirty talk and healthy communication did it for me. August was a dream! The amount of thought that went into everything he did and said was just perfect and while the dialogue could be a little iffy at times, his overall golden retriever personality made up for EVERYTHING. I will say the ending was very rushed and lots of things got skipped over including the issues with Natalie and her mother, as well as the winery, but overall this was a fun read.
June 10, 2023
“Sleep right here. On me.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead hard. “It’s the safest place you’ll ever be.”
4 SWOON-WORTHY ⭐️ I enjoyed every minute of this! Equal parts hilarious and steamy, Tessa really nailed this second book of the Vine Mess duo 🤗
Here’s what it’s got:
💞Marriage of Convenience
💞Enemies-to-Lovers (sort of)
💞He Falls First
💞Forced Proximity
💞SPICE
Now, for all my bookish friends who like a slow burn/slow build, this might not be your cup of tea. I’ll admit, it’s FAST. But if you don’t mind it quick and dirty (hehe 🤭) and you like a 6’3” dirty-talking Navy Seal-turned-vintner MMC who says things like:
“I can’t breathe for loving you and loving you is the only way I can breathe,” and
“As long as you need me, I’m with you. Whatever you decide, whatever happens, I’m your goddamn man,” and
“I need my wife. I’ll always fucking need my wife,”
then BUCKLE UP, BUTTERCUP because August Cates will have you in a swoony puddle on the floor 🫠
4 SWOON-WORTHY ⭐️ I enjoyed every minute of this! Equal parts hilarious and steamy, Tessa really nailed this second book of the Vine Mess duo 🤗
Here’s what it’s got:
💞Marriage of Convenience
💞Enemies-to-Lovers (sort of)
💞He Falls First
💞Forced Proximity
💞SPICE
Now, for all my bookish friends who like a slow burn/slow build, this might not be your cup of tea. I’ll admit, it’s FAST. But if you don’t mind it quick and dirty (hehe 🤭) and you like a 6’3” dirty-talking Navy Seal-turned-vintner MMC who says things like:
“I can’t breathe for loving you and loving you is the only way I can breathe,” and
“As long as you need me, I’m with you. Whatever you decide, whatever happens, I’m your goddamn man,” and
“I need my wife. I’ll always fucking need my wife,”
then BUCKLE UP, BUTTERCUP because August Cates will have you in a swoony puddle on the floor 🫠
June 9, 2023
Well. Now I know It Happened One Summer and My Killer Vacation were full on flukes. This book is TERRIBLE. Not in a subjective way, in a definitive, this writing is absolute garbage way. I kept feeling like I was reading AI trained on Tessa Bailey and bad porn.
A FEW of the quotes that made me want to DNF this trash:
“Why did he have the ridiculous urge to move in a fast clip back in her direction and catch her up in a kiss?” — What does this even mean??
“A twisting feast of lips…” — This is possibly the worst possible way to describe kissing ever invented.
“His tongue touched the seam of her mouth and FINGERS OF LUST raked up her inner thighs.” — What are fingers of lust?? A just know a computer wrote this.
“…someone to smack him in the head and remind him he was marrying a ten.” — Are we really ranking women on a scale of 1-10 in the year 2023?
“It didn’t have straps, just a tight section of sparkling beads that pushed up her tits.” — August describing Natalie’s wedding dress.
“Your tits look insane.” — August to Natalie at the actual wedding alter.
“Her quick release of breath bated his throat, making his stones feel weighty…” — I cannot explain how bad the smut in this book is.
“He entered her with his tongue, pushed it as deep as possible - and her WOMB ITSELF CONSTRICTED…” — Umm, you should probably seek out medical assistance.
Moving past the terrible writing, August is a Navy SEAL, you will be reminded of this every chapter, usually multiple times a chapter, and sometimes multiple times on the same page. According to this book, being a Navy SEAL is the most heroic thing you could ever hope to do in your life, and all other men look up to the wondrous few.
August’s SEAL status allows him to bypass the police at an ~emergency flash flood~ and heroically rescue a woman and her children. I actually laughed out loud during this nonsense chapter that has absolutely NOTHING to do with the rest of the book. By the way, the flood is so bad it almost kills people, but not so bad that it stops August and Natalie from pulling over to have, “rough sex,” (it was extremely vanilla sex), on the side of the road. This SEAL status also is the only reason Natalie is able to close a business deal because the investor didn’t respect her until her SEAL husband showed up. GAGGGGGG!!!!
At one point, August doesn’t show up to a meeting because he SLEEPS through it, then guilts her about his reasoning and SHE ends up apologizing!!???? GAG AGAIN.
The fact that August refers to his “dick/gut,” (yes it’s actually forward slashed like that in writing multiple times), as basically it’s own character so many times was… beyond words. I genuinely cannot think of a way to describe how off putting repeatedly seeing “dick/gut,” in writing was.
We won’t even go into the lie of omission that Natalie only found out about through a THIRD PARTY and after she had already given up everything, storyline. Who cares if she gave up her career for someone who was never even honest with her as long as the sex is good, right?
I’m not sure what I hated more about this book, the shit writing, or the message, but either way, I felt gross after finishing this slop.
A FEW of the quotes that made me want to DNF this trash:
“Why did he have the ridiculous urge to move in a fast clip back in her direction and catch her up in a kiss?” — What does this even mean??
“A twisting feast of lips…” — This is possibly the worst possible way to describe kissing ever invented.
“His tongue touched the seam of her mouth and FINGERS OF LUST raked up her inner thighs.” — What are fingers of lust?? A just know a computer wrote this.
“…someone to smack him in the head and remind him he was marrying a ten.” — Are we really ranking women on a scale of 1-10 in the year 2023?
“It didn’t have straps, just a tight section of sparkling beads that pushed up her tits.” — August describing Natalie’s wedding dress.
“Your tits look insane.” — August to Natalie at the actual wedding alter.
“Her quick release of breath bated his throat, making his stones feel weighty…” — I cannot explain how bad the smut in this book is.
“He entered her with his tongue, pushed it as deep as possible - and her WOMB ITSELF CONSTRICTED…” — Umm, you should probably seek out medical assistance.
Moving past the terrible writing, August is a Navy SEAL, you will be reminded of this every chapter, usually multiple times a chapter, and sometimes multiple times on the same page. According to this book, being a Navy SEAL is the most heroic thing you could ever hope to do in your life, and all other men look up to the wondrous few.
August’s SEAL status allows him to bypass the police at an ~emergency flash flood~ and heroically rescue a woman and her children. I actually laughed out loud during this nonsense chapter that has absolutely NOTHING to do with the rest of the book. By the way, the flood is so bad it almost kills people, but not so bad that it stops August and Natalie from pulling over to have, “rough sex,” (it was extremely vanilla sex), on the side of the road. This SEAL status also is the only reason Natalie is able to close a business deal because the investor didn’t respect her until her SEAL husband showed up. GAGGGGGG!!!!
At one point, August doesn’t show up to a meeting because he SLEEPS through it, then guilts her about his reasoning and SHE ends up apologizing!!???? GAG AGAIN.
The fact that August refers to his “dick/gut,” (yes it’s actually forward slashed like that in writing multiple times), as basically it’s own character so many times was… beyond words. I genuinely cannot think of a way to describe how off putting repeatedly seeing “dick/gut,” in writing was.
We won’t even go into the lie of omission that Natalie only found out about through a THIRD PARTY and after she had already given up everything, storyline. Who cares if she gave up her career for someone who was never even honest with her as long as the sex is good, right?
I’m not sure what I hated more about this book, the shit writing, or the message, but either way, I felt gross after finishing this slop.
October 7, 2023
re-read on audio June 2024
A delight on audio as well.
4.25**** stars
Huh, look at that… after a fairly bumpy road with my last tries, a Tessa Bailey book finally did it for me again.
I HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH THIS. A story that truly deserves the label of a rom-com. I had so many laugh-out-loud moments with their banter and all the hearty bickering, it was a blast. On top of that we also got a lot of 🥺 and 😍 and a good chunk of 🫠 and 🔥 that I can absolutely declare this a win for me.
And August was a dream, truly. A filthy one at times, but a dream nonetheless.
The plot was great and interesting, the animosities between Natalie and August refreshingly relatable and honest and I at least was not able to not fall in love with them. ♡
But I also have two niggles about this: First, the cover and the blurb suggest we have a fake marriage/marriage of convenience at our hands but that wedding didn’t happen until around 50% of the book and our two main characters are already half-way in love with each other by that point. And secondly, these two too think that a condom’s only purpose is to prevent pregnancies and with her being on the pill they just don’t need one.
No idea why I put it down half way through only for months to pass but I’m glad I picked it back up today and finished it on a high and happy note.
**************
A Vine Mess Series
Book 1 - Secretly Yours
Book 2 - Unfortunately Yours - 4.25 stars
A delight on audio as well.
4.25**** stars
Huh, look at that… after a fairly bumpy road with my last tries, a Tessa Bailey book finally did it for me again.
I HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH THIS. A story that truly deserves the label of a rom-com. I had so many laugh-out-loud moments with their banter and all the hearty bickering, it was a blast. On top of that we also got a lot of 🥺 and 😍 and a good chunk of 🫠 and 🔥 that I can absolutely declare this a win for me.
And August was a dream, truly. A filthy one at times, but a dream nonetheless.
“Look, I’ve got about three point eight seconds before I’m unconscious, thanks to you. So I’m going to use it to tell you to stay. Sleep right here. On me.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead hard, his lips remaining there for a few seconds. “It’s the safest place you’ll ever be.”
The plot was great and interesting, the animosities between Natalie and August refreshingly relatable and honest and I at least was not able to not fall in love with them. ♡
But I also have two niggles about this: First, the cover and the blurb suggest we have a fake marriage/marriage of convenience at our hands but that wedding didn’t happen until around 50% of the book and our two main characters are already half-way in love with each other by that point. And secondly, these two too think that a condom’s only purpose is to prevent pregnancies and with her being on the pill they just don’t need one.
No idea why I put it down half way through only for months to pass but I’m glad I picked it back up today and finished it on a high and happy note.
**************
A Vine Mess Series
Book 1 - Secretly Yours
Book 2 - Unfortunately Yours - 4.25 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 11,675 reviews