Unfortunately Yours- A Novel by Tessa Bailey
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Web ID: 1660991023 reviews
Enemies to Lovers, Marriage of Convenience
Rating: 4.75 We’re back in St. Helena with the picturesque setting of the Napa Valley, the center for all things vineyards, and wines, as well as where the once notable Vos Vineyard was still there. The first book focused on, Hallie and Julian, but this time it was all about Julian’s sister, Natalie and former Navy SEAL turned new wine owner, August. When Natalie was in need of accessing her trust fund through means of employment and…marriage, it turned out the last man she ever expected to help her, August was the perfect man for the job. This story had an enemies to lovers marriage of convenience! OMG! YES! At one point, Natalie and August were so close to having a passionate and steamy night together, BUT…it never happened since Natalie and August always butted heads, and therefore they didn’t get along. From the moment I started reading, I was given plenty of that enemies dynamic between August and Natalie. Despite that one steamy meeting in the first book that held promise of August and Natalie potentially ending their night together, it resulted in the start of the two of them always getting on each other’s nerves. I could easily tell that Natalie and August weren’t on the best of terms especially with the way they would trade insults and comments to each other whenever they were around one other. Although, even with the snarky remarks, there was also that level of tension that crept up occasionally between August and Natalie. One of my favorite things about this story was seeing how August in particular still had strong feelings for Natalie, always wanting more of her, but hiding behind his rude remarks to her in order to protect himself, kind of. I love seeing a man fall first and hard, and that was the kind of energy August had when it came to Natalie. As entertaining was the enemies to lovers, I also loved seeing August and Natalie slowly let down their guards with each other. Natalie and August were so use to their dislike dynamic with each other that when it finally came to them getting “engaged” and on their way down the aisle, something changed between them. Seeing August and Natalie actually talk as opposed to arguing (which they still occasionally did) was a nice change up, and allowed for them to really know one another. I also loved seeing more of August’s protective instincts kick in whenever it came to Natalie’s wellbeing. Natalie sure did a great job when picking out a husband because, with August, a former navy SEAL as her hubby, she had not only a very muscular, deadly, handsome man, but also one who put her needs first which was something Natalie never had before. Tessa Bailey is not just amazing with writing lighthearted, funny, and lovable characters she also knows how to write intriguing romances. Natalie and August’s marriage was one meant for convenience, but those two literally were secretly pining for each other the whole time. The marriage provided the chance for August and Natalie to help each other, but also show just how much they truly cared for one another. Natalie saw how much work and effort August put into trying to make his wine the best it could be, despite the initial set backs. August saw that Natalie was often times put in the corner (so to speak) and wasn’t acknowledged for all her smart wit, and work ethic that he initially didn’t realize at first. Over the course of the story, seeing August and Natalie go from enemies to lovers truly did change their dynamic, but obviously still kept some of their original banter but with the added charm of romance blooming between them. Also, let’s not forget the STEAMY, HOT SPICE SCENES! OOOOO GIRL! Tessa knows how to write those spicy scenes! August was a man who wholeheartedly loved Natalie, but when you saw him lose his mind over wanting Natalie in that uninhibited carnal, animalistic way….WOW! It was SPICY! Natalie and August went from trying to keep things business to falling head over heels for each other as truly husband and wife. Overall, this was a GREAT enemies to lovers story! With the added touch of the marriage of convenience, August and Natalie were married in matrimony, but also grew a stronger bond while husband and wife! I loved the dynamic between August and Natalie, and seeing them go from annoying/disliking each other, to being all cute and playful was a wonderful thing to watch unfold. August was the epitome of a man who fell first and hard! I love the way Tessa writes her fictional men as being these strong men, but also being wholeheartedly obsessed, possessive, protective, and loving when it came to their women, which was exactly how August was with Natalie. The romance was perfect! I loved seeing Natalie open herself up to August and gradually seeing both of them lower their guards. This was a satisfying, enjoyable experience to read! Plenty of tension, swooning, laughable pranks between Natalie and August as well as lots of endearing moments sprinkled with that iconic spice that Tessa knows how to write perfectly. I throughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end, as well as ABSOLUTELY ADORED the epilogue that gave me even more happiness in seeing August and Natalie enjoying their lives together! Highly recommend this book!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Unfortunately Yours is a favorite of mine!
I started reading this and was about six chapters in when I learned that it was a sequel. I bought the first book but was already invested in the spit fire chemistry that August and Natalie shared. A love/hate relationship where they hate to love each other and love to hate. It was truly a well written book and one I'll read again. I'm sucker for the guy partaking in the grand gesture at the end of the book trope and Tessa Bailey's August Cates definitely delivered a grand gesture. Natalie Vos is a California turned New Yorker turned California girl. Growing up in a Napa family owned vineyard she knows her wine. August Cates is a born and bred (retired) Navy SEAL. August sets out to fulfill a friend's wish of a winery and runs into Natalie time and again. And while Natalie can make her own moves in the corporate world, she starts to become putty in August's hands (and vice versa!). Curl up on the sofa with glass of wine kind of read!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
I'm just thinking with my d**k
“But love seems more important now" Don't ask why. "Why?" "Because I can tell you don't believe in it. And I want you to” My experience hasn't been the best while reading a sequel of a past supportive character that is now in the spotlight, but Tessa really outdid herself this time! “...And goodbye reality she was now a resident of the stars, she rode on a rainbow unicorn over the milky way and waved at an astronaut.” (lmao!) I enjoyed getting to know Natalie more. I knew there was an oasis under all of that ice of hers. The way she had August wrapped around her finger the majority of the book without knowing, is pure gold. Her banter and one liners took me out every time. I fact, this book is the first one I have ever annotated and I am sure I have every one of her disses underlined. The way Tessa expressed Natalie's healing and growth throughout the book was moving, and made it easy to relate to our MFC. "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.” If there was a book written for the song "Thinking with my d*ck" by Kevin Gates, this is it. Because that is simply August in a nutshell. Oh August, all muscle and d*ck, but no brain power. This dude is a Navy SEAL with the mind of a teenager and I freaking love him anyway. His obsession and being turned as soon as Natalie was in his presence got a little old after a while, but the way Tessa used new analogies kept me entertained, laughing and turning the pages. I adore how completely utterly in love he is the entire time, like a freaking golden retriever of a man, licking the ground Natalie walks on. And she deserves nothing less. "Your t!t$ look insane" I had so much fun reading this and the 5 star is well deserved, Tessa! Definitely recommend!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Tessa Bailey delivers, yet again.
Tessa Bailey writes it, I read it. Her chemistry is always next level, and she always finds amazing ways to incorporate classic tropes but make them new, fun, and enjoyable. Loving the "A Vine Mess" series, the characters, and the setting. This book has both enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience, and I ate it up! 4/5 Stars.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great pacing if a little fast
A solid read, cute quippy dialogue, the main character have a lot of chemistry. I guess it's pretty common for this author to have mmcs who get obsessed and possessive quickly, and that happens here too. Several good spicy scenes with tight pacing between them. Epilogue was a little too saccharine but I suppose that's to be expected in this genre.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
entertaining
loved the characters
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
So cute!
After a mistake costs her investment firm billions, Natalie is fired and dumped by her fiance in one fell swoop. She returns to her family's Napa Valley vineyard until she can figure out what to do next. Sparks (and animosity) fly when she meets August, an ex-SEAL struggling to get his newly purchased vineyard up and running. If you are a marriage-of-convenience fan, this one is for you. I read Secretly Yours before diving into this ARC and I must say that this one redeemed the duology for me. I did not enjoy SY (probably the first Tessa Bailey book I have ever said that about...) and am happy I didn't let that affect my decision to read this one. I am absolutely obsessed with August. He is an ooey-gooey ball of sunshine and the way he treated Natalie had me feeling all the feels. The banter and communication between the two is A++ and I just loved their story so much! I also appreciated that this delved into some deeper topics as well--I always feel like that gives the characters substance and helps them feel realistic and relatable. Thank you to the publisher and author for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for my honest review!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Good Read But Not What I Expected
Having been introduced to Natalie and August in Secretly Yours, I knew I wanted to see where their story went (if they didn’t kill each other first). Always a fan of the larger than life characters Bailey is able to create, Unfortunately Yours picks up where Secretly Yours left off - transitioning the storyline from one sibling to the next as we continue to love and embrace the Vos Clan. One mistake! One mistake and that’s all it took for Natalie Vos’s world to come crashing down. Granted, it was one mistake with a lot of zeroes behind it but nevertheless, Natalie has found herself back in St. Helena, licking her wounds. If she wasn’t a wine bottle (or two) deep, she was trying to figure out how to make her way back to where she belonged. Sure, her firm may have voted her out and her fiancé may have dumped her, but Natalie was down, not out. She just needed capital to rebuild and she knew just how to get it. Setting pride aside, Natalie asks her mother for access to her trust fund, only to discover her father has placed the most absurd archaic stipulations in her way. She must be gainfully employed AND married! When did we re-enter the 1950s?! Reeling in her everlasting bad luck, Natalie makes the mistake of wondering how things could get any worse. That question is quickly answered when she happens upon the ONE person she would rather not deal with, even on her best day. August - the bane of her existence. Yes, Natalie almost slept with him and he was the mold from which heartthrobs were made but his arrogance knew no bounds! Flustered that her body still reacted to him and frustrated by her predicament, Natalie's unfortunate run-in births a brilliant idea! If she works for August’s vineyard AND marries him, she can get her trust fund. The problem is, if he helps her, if their deal is one-sided, he will have the upper hand and she will never live it down. When she learns the bank has denied his loan for his vineyard and he is heading out of town, Natalie approaches him with the idea that would help them both and make them even. One month of martial bliss to convince everyone their union is real and they both get what they want. Easy enough - as long as they don’t maim each other in the process. The chemistry between Natalie and August was off the charts in Secretly Yours. Their love/hate dynamic had a life of its own. I was hoping that same energy was present in Unfortunately Yours. Sadly, we lost the intensity within this story by knowing what was going on in their minds. Being on the outside, we only saw the attraction, the build up, and the fire. When we were privy to their inner thoughts, it just made all the fighting, bickering, and animosity childish. Our perspectives of August shifted as we had access to his secrets, including WHY he was running a vineyard, despite his severe lack of knowledge and his stubbornness to not receive help (providing clarity to his reactions to Natalie's criticism). All of that painted such a different picture of the August we previously met that the tension and rift between him and Natalie just seemed off-kilter. Understandable that the need to maintain their outward relationship - that love to hate each other dynamic was the foundation of the story. Their digs at each other, the banter, the way they simply antagonized each other constantly was the kindling to their fire. The intimate scenes when August and Natalie were together were insane! No matter how Natalie felt about August, she was putty in his hands behind closed doors. Tessa knows how to set the bar and rise above it in her books and the spice in this book did not disappoint. There were parts that were so intense, you kinda worried about Natalie a little bit (while envying her at the same time!) Natalie’s struggle to be seen, heard, and valued was echoed throughout the book. She was good enough until she wasn’t. She was at the top of her game in the investment world until she tripped and no one offered to catch her. She clawed, she fought, she screamed to be heard but constantly felt like no one would miss her if she simply disappeared into the shadows. The one thing that she never lost, that she wouldn’t sacrifice was her integrity. While Unfortunately Yours wasn’t what I expected, I did enjoy the witty banter, the overall story, and the surprise depth of August’s background.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com