| Title | : | Secretly Yours (A Vine Mess, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0063238985 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780063238985 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 384 |
| Publication | : | First published February 7, 2023 |
Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family's winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to their small town. When Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she'll finally get that smooch. But the grumpy professor isn't the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly. One wine-fueled girls' night later, Hallie can't shake the sense that she did something reckless--and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit.
On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She's eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt--and so unbelievably beautiful, he can't focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past. Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he's sucked further into Hallie's orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian's gray-scale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there's something so familiar about her... and her very presence is turning his world upside down.
Secretly Yours (A Vine Mess, #1) Reviews
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No description, no cover, no release date
its five stars, if you have an issue talk to my lawyer -
Ok but am I the only one who’s now scared of picking this book up because of all the two star ratings it’s been getting?😭
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Authors need to stop writing books I want to read until I catch up on my tbr list -
not quite as perfect as ‘it happened one summer’ but its pretty dang close.
i love the sweet clash of personalities between julian and hallie. not exactly grumpy x sunshine, but definitely same effect. i also think napa plays the perfect setting - very summery with cosy small town vibes. and the anxiety rep is strong with this one. so a lot of good things to love all around!
but i think the tiny thing that missed the mark for me was whole secret admirer letters. although the synopsis makes it feel like the story is going to revolve around them, its much more of a side plot and one i dont think really adds anything to the story (other than the classic “miscommunication” bump towards the end that all romance books have). the main focus of the novel is julian getting to know hallie without the letters, which makes me think “what was even the point?” i guess its just not the trope for me.
but overall, this is a sweet romance and one that is going to be perfect for its valentine release!
a big thanks to avon and harper voyager for the ARC!!
↠ 4.5 stars -
1.5 STARS
Dear Tessa Bailey what is happening?? I felt more tension and emotions while reading my math book -
2.5 stars
This might be the summery easy romcom read for some, but it just missed the mark for me. It is a book that I knew I won’t like from the second chapter. I could just tell from all of the eye-roll worthy moments from the very beginning.
Some random thoughts that annoyed me:
~ The whole secret admirer thing added nothing to the story. It was put there for the sake of creating an unnecessary conflict by an unnecessary side plot. It was all so pointless??
~ The way Julian thought or acted was making me feel uncomfortable. Like the way he kept staring at her breasts from the first time he met her, he couldn’t take his eyes away from her breasts, then again after the second, third, and fourth meeting?? I don’t know it just made me feel so uncomfortable the way he was objectifying her like that, specially that there were no connection between them. The way he was obsessed with her breasts the first thing from the first meeting was making me get some creepy uncomfortable vibes from him.
~ The third act conflict was simply STUPID! It made me think that if this has ever happened to me and he just left and refused to talk to me, I’ll just let him be. Like fine go be a child because where’s the freakin problem??
The whole book and the main characters really annoyed me. It was all just so eye-roll worthy, unfortunately. I loved it happened one summer and I hoped this would be as good, but it’s not. At least for me.
Huge Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this copy. I wish I could’ve loved it more. -
A gardener and a professor, two individuals from different worlds but come together in a passionate way with a connection that is beyond palpable...
From the beginning of reading the synopsis, I just knew that Tessa would be writing something that I will instantly fall in love with. And I did. Julian and Hallie have become one of my favorites because of their sweet banters and their chemistry that goes way beyond anything. From that first kiss, it became one that Hallie could never forget. One that she became infatuated with. And from the moment she found out that the handsome college professor was coming back to their home town for a "visit", her obsession grew more.
Julian being the type A gentleman that he is, finding someone like Hallie and not remembering their first kiss, became something of an obsession to him to find out and try very hard to remember were it is he knows her from. But getting distracted by her beauty, quirky ways, and her three rumbustious dogs, he knows that being with her is not something that he can do. But his mind and body are telling him different things. Reacting in ways that makes him crave her presence. Her laughs, her overall emotions and energy. And of course, it makes him crave her smiles and mindless thoughts;
"But he found himself wondering what it might be like to fill that role for Hallie. In another life, obviously. A full-time giver of Hallie smiles..."
Hallie, being the type of person who is all over the place knows that being with someone like Julian would go anything against her non-existent values. She is totally type B personality, and I love everything about it. Her presence makes any room and environment shine like the type of person she is. And when they both finally come to a realization that they are meant to be together and their time apart is inevitable, their spark is one of the ages.
Tessa has delivered once again with her amazing main characters AND side characters. Natalie and August being said side characters in which I know I will instantly fall in love with.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review...
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...Time with you is the most substantial of all. I'll probably never be able to stop counting the minutes that we're apart, but the ones when we're together, I'm leaving room for anything. Whatever happens...
Plot- 2.5/5🌟
Spice- 3/5🌶️
Idk what to feel with this one.. basically a lot of lows, some highs but a lighthearted read that drags with minimal level of plot. Explained further, let's go over the tropes.
✔️ Small town romance
✔️ Dual pov
✔️ Insta love (meh trope but executed well)
✔️ Grumpy x sunshine
✔️ Professor x gardener
✔️ Secret admirer
✔️ Miscommunication (🤢)
Things I liked -
1. The romance- What good is a romance book if the romance isn't good, right? The chemistry is there, Hallie and Julian connect immediately and it doesn't feel forced. Am not a fan of insta love but I think Tessa Bailey executed it brilliantly here.
2. The smut- Oh boy it's juicyyyyyy. Also the FMC is a virgin so we see her first time experiences to sex and it's done well. We all know how good Tessa writes smut and she doesn't disappoint in that department.
3. Julian- Julian is such a good MMC and book boyfriend material. He's romantic, have his own quirks, considerate, charming and a sexy professor. The dirty talk made me swoon. NGL if there was a book with just Julian conversing, I'd buy it in an instant. The man is HOT 🥵
Things I didn't like -
Brace yourselves for mild attack of rants.
1. Pacing- It started slow and stayed slow and ended slow. It was consistent but slowwwww.
2. Plot- It was so bad. I could not careless for the vineyards and the town. The Corked vs UNCORKED rivalry was interesting but wasn't explored enough to grab my interest. Tessa's writing in that department was mediocre. It Happened One Summer was such a masterpiece compared to this. If it wasn't for the romance and Julian, I would've dnf-ed it.
3. Characters- Except for Julian, I didn't like anyone else. The side characters were not that interesting. Hallie was bearable but she was an inconsistent character. She wanted Julian, then she didn't, then she did, then she didn't, then did. Girl you wanted him first and now he wants you so just take him without drama 😭😭
4. Miscommunication trope- I hated it. Why is this trope a thing?! I don't like it. It serves no purpose beyond annoying the reader.
Anyway, felt good getting that off my chest.
Overall, it was decent enough for me to rate it three stars but it's not something exceptional. It does not create the same magic as It Happened One Summer. So if you pick this up, lower your expectations. -
I'm just going to put it out there, front and center:
Secretly Yours is NOT
Tessa Bailey's best work. Not by a long shot.
I actually forgot who the author was when I started this book, and I was thinking amateur-hour with an eyeroll, so color me shocked when I saw who the author was at the end. *cue surprised Pikachu face*
The characters are okay I guess, but bland. The female MC gave me kind of stalker vibes- like an unrequited crush for that long and he barely remembered you? And you based all of your relationships on the standard of one guy you knew for a hot second? I was not feeling that... at all. The male MC was okay but I didn't really understand him. The anxiety rep was shaky at best, and I thought his motivations and personality didn't quite match up. The two together didn't do much for me.
Where
Tessa Bailey usually shines is in her sex scenes, and this was sort of the case here. I (again) rolled my eyes at the , and the completely out of character way the male MC transitioned from straight-laced to dirty talk. It just didn't go with his character AT ALL. I know Tessa Bailey shines at dirty talk (and it was pretty decent here) but the MCs just didn't match up with the sex scenes.
The side characters were okay, and the winery details seemed half-hearted, but it just really wasn't enough for me. Plus, the conflict at the end drove me insane!! Please, authors, do better.
Is this the book that makes me hang up my Tessa Bailey hat? Maybe (*unless she write another M/M- I'm here for that*).
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DNF at 30%, i gotta put me first.
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3.5 ⭐️ This was cute! 💐💕 I will admit, the plot was a little chaotic, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Tessa never fails to make me laugh till I cry 🥲
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Miss tessa is no longer an auto buy author for me… I’ll be picking her books up from the library maybe
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“If the clutter if yours, I want it. If you’re late, I don’t care. Just fucking show up." PHEWWW ALRIGHTY THEN.
Tessa Bailey just has such a unique way with words…
- You are literally leaching my vagina of moisture.
- I’m much better at speaking to men when I’m busy doing something with my hands.
- That butt had aged like Cabernet. Full bodied and - she assumed - delicious.
- Excuse me. Garçon? I’d like to order a new best friend.
- As soon as she was alone with her phone, she would google, How Horny is Too Horny?
- Are you a whole-ass moron, Julian?
- If this was an inappropriate time to be turned on, someone needed to tell her vagina.
- Hello, I’m three thousand miles from the broken pieces of my life right now. Nice to meet you.
LOOOOOOL. Just LOOOOOOL.
I didn’t really understand the conflict and why our two MC’s felt like they couldn’t be together for the majority of the book. We get it okay, one of you embodies organisation and one of you embodies chaos, but like…. who cares?? Also the third act conflict was not the one. JUST COMMUNICATE PEOPLE!!!!
Anyways, 4 stars because Tessa Bailey is hilarious. -
I’m starting to think the only Tessa Bailey book I like is It Happened One Summer. This fell sooooo flat for me, and I struggled to finish it. 🙈
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I enjoy all of tessa Bailey's books & liked this one. It wasn't one of my favorites but still enjoyable. The steam was decent but I didn't love the chemistry between the two characters. I enjoyed them each on their own but I just didn't love them as a couple. Overall a 3/5
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it’s official guys, It Happened One Summer is Bailey’s one hit wonder
i won’t be quoting much from this book bc duh 1) it’s an ARC and 2) i don’t want the publisher to come for my ass so here’s a brief one -
i adored IHOS and so naturally my expectations were sky high for this one bc people were comparing and saying that they’re quite similar…
- chemistry and tension were nowhere to be found
- the plot was so boring i literally skipped pages
- characters were lowkey bland and dry i needed a glass of water
- the dirty talking felt weird and out-of-nowhere and this is coming from some who liked her heroes’ dirty talking game btw
- the conflict by the end was the most unnecessary shit i’ve ever read
conclusion
i didn’t like Hook Line and Sinker so now that i didn’t enjoy this too, i guess it’s obvious that i won’t be bothered to read the companion novel coming June 2023 but who knows 🤷🏻♀️ -
can millennials please stop trying to “fit in” and use gen z slang in their books because it’s giving cringe
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I loved this steamy, hot Rom- Com❤️ I normally don’t read these but Bookstagram pulled me in! I was entertained to say the least!
A crush on someone since high school is bound to lead to a chaotic yet charming and contemporary romance! The characters were opposites which usually leads to a heartwarming relationship. She is a ray of sunshine, yet chaotic with her 3 dogs in tow. She surprises him with gopher chasing skills. He is stiff collared serious and needs this to reveal his sexy softer side.
If it is meant to be a light or burst of happiness inside our often routine lives, it did just that! What a fun distraction for a professor taking a sabbatical to write! Julian has been persuaded to help out with the family vineyard and live in his mother’s guesthouse. What he finds is an entertaining yet beautiful landscape artist working in his yard! Hallie, a gardener and a huge admirer of Julian’s intercedes his writing to adorn the yard and his mind. Her unforgettable crush is granted until in a drunken state she writes an anonymous letter to him!
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my review! -
2.5 ⭐️ A sweet, second-chance romance that takes place in beautiful wine country
"All time is not created equal. I know that now. Time with you is the most substantial of all. I'll probably never be able to stop counting the minutes that we're apart, but the ones when we're together, I'm leaving room for anything."
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ small town setting
✨ dual POV
✨ second chance romance
✨ opposites attract
✨ grumpy x sunshine
✨ fun-loving, messy, virgin gardener
✨ serious, organized, secret cinnamon roll professor
✨ secret admirer letters
✨ miscommunication
✨ lies by omission
✨ so much tension
✨ smut
✨ mental health discussions
Summary:
Haille is a carefree gardener who's had a crush on Julian Vos since 9th grade. He was a senior. They almost kissed in the vineyards during a high school party, but when he realized her age, he turned her down. Fifteen years later, Julian is back home after needing a bit of a mental health break when his mother hires Haille to spruce up the carriage house garden. Julian doesn't initially remember her, but once he does, sparks fly and romance blossoms. However, upon Julian's return, Haille wrote him secret admirer letters and doesn't know how to broach the topic without ruining what they have.
Thoughts
It's a fine story, but I must say, I liked the first half of the story more than the second.
Here's what I liked:
Tessa Bailey did a great job introducing us to the characters and setting up the story.
The small-town vibes. I've never read anything that takes place in wine country, so this was different for me, and it worked. I also enjoyed the side drama about saving local businesses.
The romance. During the first half, there was so much tension between these two, and I loved how different they are from each other. The second chance romance with grumpy x sunshine characters was fun, sweet, and often clashed. But in the end, they were able to bring out the best in each other.
Julian. He was such an interesting character. He's a history professor at Stanford on a sabbatical to reevaluate his life. We learn that he has anxiety and suffers from panic attacks, and to feel in control, he develops a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder and keeps himself on a very strict schedule. I've never read a story with an MMC with these struggles, so I found it refreshing. Julian is also a secret cinnamon roll who falls hard for Haille, and his inner thoughts about her were steamy and sweet. She's chaotic and messy, everything that scares him and his orderly life, but by being around her, he forgets time and can relax. I loved his character development.
Here's what I didn't like:
Hailee. I loved her sunshine vibes and chaotic nature, but she was incredibly immature. First off, she has been pining after and cyber-stalking Julian for 15 years. She would watch his lecture videos online because she was that obsessed. Also, she's a virgin at the age of 29. I'm not saying that's good or bad, I was just shocked. And her reasoning for not having sexual relationships in the past is that no one has ever compared to Julian, which is psycho behavior since she didn't really know him at all to begin with. Honestly, if this wasn't a rom-com things could have quickly turned into a psychological thriller story.
The secret admirer letters. I didn't really understand their purpose in the story. She writes them AFTER they have their first sexual encounter. So at this point, there is an already established connection, so why write the letters now? Wouldn't it have made more sense if she wrote them before meeting him again? I also just think secret admirer letters are creepy, so that didn't help.
Julian's dirty talk. Not only was I not a fan of the actual dirty talk, but it seemed completely out of place with his character. He is a super reserved, serious, straight-laced guy but all of a sudden he's saying things like,
"You've been doing such bad things to my dick, sweetheart. Just bouncing with those curls in your tight shorts, not a care in the world, huh? Well, you've got to deal with me now. You've got to let those beautiful tits out and deal with me."
OR
"Your curves shake when I'm packing this thing tight. I know it for a fact now. The parts you're nervous to show me are actually what make me hard, Haille."
OR
"You're going to get so comfortable with me looking and touching and tasting every part of your naked body that you'll learn to bend over with your butt in the air, just like this, and ask me to eat it whole."
OMG WHAT?! (lol) EW, NO TO ALL OF THIS! Also, he has a dirty knee fetish which I'm assuming is because Haille is a gardener. But again, Julian's character did not match up with his persona during sexual encounters.
The conflict at the end. I just felt it was weak/pointless. Using the letters to create an issue with his anxiety isn't something I expected, and it just didn't work.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own. -
this was everything I needed it to be - nice fluffy cotton candy rom com.
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“ it hurt that he forgot her”
WELL HE LIVED HIS LIFE HADLEY AND DIDN’T OBSESS OVER A 14 YEAR OLD GIRL FOR 15 YEARS OF HIS LIFE
LFMAOOOOO GIRL WAS A JOKE👌
also I’m like 85% sure Tessa Bailey writes under Jess Kane. -
I don't even know what to say hhahhhhhhh. You can always expect Tessa Bailey's books to be so steamy and for her romance heroes to be so on point with their dirty talk >>> Like?? I was actually screaming during some scenes. THANK YOU TESSA BAILEY FOR GIVING US A STOIC, RULE FOLLOWER, DRESS SHIRT-WEARING DIRTY TALKER WHO IS SO GONE FOR A SUNSHINE, CHAOTIC GARDENER WHO HAS 3 DOGS AND CLUTTER AROUND HER LIFE.
You will want to read this book if you enjoy cute, hilarious romcoms, small towns, gardening/flowers, wine, grumpy/sunshine trope, and so many more things! Julian wants to always see Hallie smile and it's such a big theme throughout the book. He literally calls her his sun and he wants to always have that smile directed at him. There are so many good moments in this book, you're going to be highlighting everything I bet. JUST LIKE MEEEE.
I don't wanna say anything else, because I think you fully deserve to read this without knowing anything lmao. But yeah! Please pick it up when it's up. -
2.5⭐️ 2🌶
An honest review. I had looked toward this novel so much for 2023 and it was not what I was expecting.
The story follows Hallie who has carried a torch for Julian for over a decade and 15 years after an almost kiss between the two, they cross paths once again. When Julian doesn’t remember the meeting between the two Hallie takes to leaving Julian a letter as his secret admirer in a drunken haze. And from there the story ensues. Will Hallie be the only one to carry a torch or will Julian spark his own flames for the woman who is complete polar opposite.
I first off want to say that I have highly enjoyed precious books by Tessa Bailey, this however was not one of them. I could not for the life of me feel a single ounce of chemistry between Hallie and Julian. Hallie was an okay FMC but Julian honestly felt like he had no personality and the dirty talk that came from him eventually almost felt alien in a way, it did not make sense for his character. On the matter of the spice it was just okay, nothing special.
Overall the reading experience for this was dry, slow and honestly boring :(
I am sad. -
2.5. It physically pains me to do this to my queen, the one and only Miss Testicle Bailif... but this did NOT land for me. I had a gun to my own head trying to force myself to like Secretly Yours and eventually just had to accept that I simply did not!
I love Tessa Bailey books because they're authentic and heartfelt and ridiculous— she just gets it. Her writing and her characters always resonate with me. I'm all in. I'm on board. Her fictional worlds are often borderline satirical, but there's always this sense of WARMTH and HEART that has you saying you know what? sure. why not and hopping on for the ride.
...I didn't feel that here. There were moments that resonated with me and we got instances of that classic Tessa Bailey charm and silly goose-ness, but the story as a whole was just flat and lifeless and uninteresting. Despite Secretly Yours being one of her more grounded, realistic, conventional stories... I didn't feel shit for these people. Tell me why I felt more connected to
the bounty hunter strapped up with a glock and the random elementary school teacher with big tits randomly conducting a murder investigation and fucking in the vestibule of a Catholic church in beachy Cape Cod. That shit made zero sense and yet I was out here kicking my feet in the air tee hee-ing at their chemistry hoping for an invitation to the wedding.
I know Miss Tessafina has it in her, but that 'it' was not present in the room with us for this book. I felt nothing. With that said, I am sooooo excited for Julian's sister's book!!!!!! -
**E-ARC was provided to me by the publisher for review purposes. All opinions are my own***
Secretly Yours is the sweet and spicy read I needed to warm me up from this cold February. The dialogue back and forth between Hallie and Julian, especially in their first interactions, had me smiling — their polar opposite personalities made for some good laughs.
For me, the highlight of this book was Julian's character. He’s not your conventional “grumpy “male romance hero. An event from his past leaves Julian dependent on to-do lists and strict schedules to keep him centered, and he struggles with anything that pulls him away from that precious structure (Hallie quickly being at the top of that list of dangerous distractions).
The “love letter” aspect of this storyline was probably my least favourite part of the plot. The letters added this extra drama to Hallie and Julian’s IRL relationship, without any significant drama seeming to unfold at the end. It just fell a bit flat to me.
Nonetheless, although It Happened One Summer continues to be my Tessa Bailey favourite, I think Secretly Yours is a cute read if you’re looking for something light with a sexy edge. Julian has quite a mouth on him— I’ll leave it at that, haha!
As a side note: I’m a sucker for a small-town romance series, so I can’t wait to spend more time with these characters (there was no epilogue for Hallie and Julian so I’m sure we’ll get some peaks into their lives in Natalie’s book). The bits we saw of Natalie (Julian’s sister) in this book have left me excited for her story!
3.5/5 -
Secretly, Yours
⭐️⭐️(2/5, Romance/B.R.A.D*)
Let me preface this by saying I am a HUGE Tessa Bailey fan. It Happened One Summer is one of my favorite gateway BRADs that I use to get people hooked on BRADs. But.. this book was… not good. I felt like the characters were caricatures and not real people? Does any human man in the world talk like Julian? The premise is one of my least favorite of all time and I honestly thought only happened in Hallmark Christmas movies (I’ll outline the premise below). The best thing about this book is the setting, I loved day dreaming about living in lush & gorgeous wine country and thought it was the perfect backdrop for a romance novel.
The book is about Hallie & Julian. Julian is a hot, brooding professor who is in love with all things organized & orderly. Hallie is a bright and bubbly gardener who colors outside of the lines in every aspect of her life. Hallie has been harboring a crush on Julian since high school and when she hears he’s back in town at his family vineyard writing a book, she decides it only makes sense to both start a gardening project at his house and… anonymously write him love letters? Julian starts conversing with this secret admirer via letters while also getting to know Hallie in real life which is endlessly confusing and IMO unnecessary!!
There are cute moments in the book and Tessa is the queen of steamy scenes but overall this book was not for me.
Best paired with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Helena 🍷. Trust me… you’ll need the whole bottle.
Have you read this? Am I being unbearably harsh? I was so excited for this book so maybe I’m the victim of unrealistic expectations. I’ve heard the sequel to this book is a lot better which is great but gives me pause. How is the sequel already written?!
*a BRAD is a Beach Read After Dark. It’s a more explicit romance! Proceed with caution, check my highlights for more. -
The queen of fun and charm is back! This was really cute and I just loved the wine country setting 🍷🧀 I WANT WINE AND MAN AND A MAN WHO’S FAMILY
HAS A WINERY!!! The dream 😔
Obviously from the title this does have a secret admirer plot point and I will say I don’t really care for that trope, just a personal thing. It wasn’t my favorite Tessa book I’ve read but it was still so sweet and I loved Hallie & Julian. Julian is a boy obsessed and I loved that. This was such a solid romance and TB fans like me are for sure going to love it! -
3 STARS
I had to put this on my schedule. Right there on my notepad. Beating off to Hallie.” His tongue traced her bottom lip. “I’ve already done it once today.”
“You wrote those words down?” she said, gasping when he nipped at her jaw.
“No, I just wrote your name. My cock knew what it meant.”
Secretly Yours launches a brand new series for one of my favorite authors and I am definitely here for it. Anything based round wine and wine making has my attention. What? I like my wine, okay? But I digress.
This was on the cuter side of what I'd generally be drawn to, but with Tessa's signature dirty talk, even this reader can enjoy a cute contemporary. Now admittedly, this trope isn't my favorite. I love unrequited love, but the secret admirer thing isn't my cuppa. Hallie Welch was a sweet girl, though a bit too bumbling for my tastes. The majority of the story is focused on her trying to save the failing winery of her grandmother's friend, by going after the new flashy wine bar. The other part of the story is her pining over Julian Vos, who she had a huge crush on when she was fourteen.
Julian is a professor who is currently on sabbatical from his ivy league job and back at his family's vinery. He is a man who plans his days down to bathroom breaks in order to keep control on his debilitating anxiety. While Julian is regimented and controlled, Hallie is the polar opposite. And while this should have been cute, for some reason it came across as more cliche than anything else.
I really liked some parts of the story, while others had me skimming. Admittedly, my favorite part was the set up for Julian's sister's book next. God, I can practically taste the hate lust in it. But I digress once more.
Did I like this, yes. Was it my favorite of Tessa's? Not really. Will I be reading the next in this series? Absolutely. You can't love them all, and while this was a bit lackluster for me, it was still enjoyable enough to have me finish reading it and hooked enough on the series to continue.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
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Once, I was watching a show in which one of the contestants became helplessly, endearingly panicked and overwhelmed. You could see how he was utterly at a loss at what to do, until the host swiftly, firmly, gently put it into context and told him that she had full confidence he could cope with it. This whole-hearted, unreserved kindness suddenly and immediately made me intensely attracted to the host, whom I liked but had never previously thought about in that context.
Which is all to explain in part why I love this book, whose Hallie is so passionately drawn to Julian because he is kind. A guy who goes out of his way to help people, sincerely, and who can’t stop staring at her glorious curls, or stand the idea of her being unhappy. (He’s also a professor, grumpy, and hot. And he tells a bunch of kids they are disgusting, which makes them laugh.) People can be complicated, yes, and I love a sexy villain, but deep down and IRL, nothing is more appealing to me than someone trying their best to do the right thing. I guess how much you value that might play into how you react to this story—it’s a big part of the plot.
Other pluses: their chemistry is electric and their absorption in each other is fucking adorable. I loved her sarcastic and foul-mouthed friends and his rebel sister, I enjoyed the vineyard setting (all aspects so familiar to me, as a Californian) and the subplot helping the elderly neighbor’s wine shop, and it’s funny from start to finish.
Quibbles: the stuff that are the “hooks” for marketing purposes could have been developed more (and there was a lot of it), including the secret admirer letters, their past missed connection, the landscaping/personal development thing, his family dynamics and panic attacks…it’s too much and not enough at the same time. I also wish Tweed Twit had had a bigger comeuppance! I expected we would circle back triumphantly to the rival wine shop at the end, so it was disappointing that never happened.
But still. He’s so utterly charmed by her and she’s so intensely into him that you can’t help but fall in love with them both. I love when people are genuinely kind to each other, and it’s so nice to see books that embrace that without cynicism or being overly, simplistically sticky-sweet. -
UMMMM NEW TESSA BAILEY SERIES
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4 Stars!
(ARC provided by Avon and Harper Voyager)
Hallie Welch is a beautiful, quirky gardener from St. Helena that's life was always a bit chaotic. She's an impulsive, free spirit who is still finding her way since the passing of her beloved grandmother. She's carrying on her legacy with Becca's Blooms when a blast from the past returns to town. She was infatuated with Julian Vos her freshman year of high school, and she's crushed on him ever since their almost kiss fifteen years ago. She's never forgotten him, or met anyone like him. He's still the man of her dreams that lived in her fantasies. When they finally meet again it's clear she still carries a torch for him. Could this be her chance with the intelligent, kind, intense professor, or are her feelings one sided?
Julian Vos is a history professor at Stanford who is taking a break from teaching to write a book. He's looking for some peace and quiet, and is headed home to his family Vineyard in Napa for the next several months. He's living and working in the guest house when he hears a bunch of noise outside his window. The last thing he needs is a distraction in the form of a gorgeous, eccentric gardener. He finds her fascinating, and soon looks forward to her sunshine and smiles. He likes routines and structure, and lives life by a schedule, but everything suddenly changes when Hallie is near. Then he gets a secret admirer and things turn even more complicated. Could love be in his future even though it maybe wasn't part of his plan?
Secretly Yours (Vine Mess Book 1) by Tessa Bailey is the first in an all new duet that can be read as a standalone. It's a heartwarming, Grumpy/Sunshine, opposites attract, second chance, small town romantic comedy full of humor, chemistry and fabulous banter. I love Tessa Bailey's writing and look forward to the next story in the duet! :))
***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://www.amazon.com/Secretly-Yours...
