Title: Tools of Engagement
Author: Tessa Bailey
Series: Hot & Hammered #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Chic lit, Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 30th – 31st March 2021
Pace:Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2020
5th sentence, 74th page: A day earlier: ‘Laura claims you let her watch Judge Judy.’

When two enemies team up to flip a house, the sparks between them will either burn the place down or ignite a passion they can’t resist…

Hair, makeup, clothing, décor – everything in Bethany Castle’s world is organized, planned, and styled to perfection. The homes she designs for her family’s real estate business are the most coveted in town. The only thing II not II perfect? Her track record with men. So she’s on a dating hiatus, and now she finally has time to focus on her dream: flip a house, from framework to furnishings, all by herself. Except her older brother runs the company and won’t take her seriously.

When a TV producer gets wing of the Castle sibling rivalry, they’re invited on Flip Off, a competition to see who can do the best renovation. Bethany wants bragging rights, but she needs a crew and the only member of her brothers’ construction team willing to jump ship is Wes Daniels, the new guy in town. However, Wes’s Texas drawl and handsome face got under Bethany’s skin on day one, and the last thing she needs is some cocky young cowboy in her way.

As the race to renovate heats up, Wes and Bethany are forced into close quarters, trading barbs and biting banter as they remodel the ugliest house on the block. It’s a labor of love, hate, and everything in between, and soon sparks are flying. Bethany’s perfectly structured life is one kiss away from going up in smoke, and she knows falling for a guy like Wes would be a II flipping II disaster…

This novel and conclusion to the Hot & Hammered series most certainly bought a tear to my eyes. It was brilliant, cute and sweet. Most definitely the kind of story that I will remember for a long time and read again. There were just so many wonderful moments to this story that were brilliant. It bought tears to my eyes, with hand flapping and everything.

I have a bit of a habit towards perfectionism. Mostly, I’m aware of it, but yeah, sometimes it kind of sucks. The fact that Bethany has this tendency made me love her that much quicker. And it turned this romance into a story that wasn’t just about falling in love, but also about finding yourself and learning to accept the chaos in your life. It’s something that I’m constantly working towards, something that I think many people need to work towards in their own lives.

One of my favourite things about the romances that I read is when you connect strongly with the characters. With Bethany’s proclivity towards perfectionism and not wanting people to see her vulnerability, I connected with Bethany way more than was comfortable. The panic attacks, the difficulties with being close to someone, the inability to show my vulnerabilities… yeah, I felt that. And it made Wes all that much more drool-worthy and admirable, after all, I know how difficult it can be to put up with my little quirks.

Wes is a fantastic leading man. He is steadfast and honourable. That, and the fact that he’s a bull riding cowboy who quit his roaming life to raise his niece? Perfect book boyfriend material there. Which works well, because Laura, the adorable niece? She steals the show multiple times throughout this book.

This is a fantastic conclusion to a wonderful trilogy. Not only is it a great standalone romance, but you get a little bit more of the happily ever after for Georgie and Rosie as well… it just tied everything up beautifully and left me smiling like an absolute goofball. While tears of happiness and joy threatened to overflow.

Image source: Goodreads

Title: Love Her or Lose Her
Author: Tessa Bailey
Series: Hot & Hammered #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Chic lit, Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 13th – 24th March 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2020
5th sentence, 74th page: “In bed or out?” Rosie said, heat staining her cheeks.

New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with a unique, sexy romantic comedy about a young married couple whose rocky relationship needs a serious renovation.

Rosie and Dominic Vega are the prefect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be, anyway. Now Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with ten years ago is nowhere to be found. When Rosie’s girlfriends encourage her to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp.

Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to-emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippie. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to Rosie’s surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As the two complete one ridiculous – yet surprisingly helpful – assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret… and it could demolish everything.

As with Fix Her Up, I was completely in love with and completely pulled into this story. It was fun, light and seriously cute. Plus, I love that the angle in this romance isn’t so much about finding the love of your life, it’s about keeping them. I’ve been with my husband since we were quite young (not as young as Rosie and Dom), and I know that our relationship is a constant work in progress. So, having a story that highlights what happens after the wedding… it certainly was a fantastic alternate angle to a romance.

I’ve always believed in true love, but I’ve also believed that it doesn’t matter how much you love one another, there is much more to a relationship and marriage than love alone. I love that Bailey kind of takes the same standpoint – that Rosie deserves more than just love and needs to fight for something else in her life. It opens up this beautiful world in which love isn’t necessarily enough, there is other work involved. Believe me, a good relationship isn’t just built around love. It is about so much, much more. And that Rosie is willing to fight for this… man, I just fell for this character from the very first page.

It’s always fun when you feel like you have a lot in common with the lead character – and I certainly felt this way about Rosie. I too have a stoic, communicationally stunted man in my life. And, although she always wants him by her side, she is fiercely independent. And intelligent. And just driven. Plus, I love the level of sass – particularly in the moment when she decides to find the most “woo woo” therapist she possibly can. Not just to save their marriage, but also to try and make Dom really try. I love a woman who will occasionally go out of her way to be difficult. The fact that the therapist managed to throw in some very cool and interesting curveballs… well, it had me smiling and giggling all the way through.

Love Her or Lose Her is a beautiful romance, filled with all of the fun and lust that I enjoyed in Fix Her Up.  But I honestly probably enjoyed it just that little bit more. Simply because it deals with the day-to-day difficulties of being in a relationship. It highlights that even when you’ve had the wedding, found your happily ever after… things still take work. Plus, the inclusion of the love languages… it just reminds us to never take each other for granted and finding our happily ever after is always about work… in the best way possible.

Image source: Booktopia

Title: Fix Her Up
Author: Tessa Bailey
Series: Hot & Hammered #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Chic lit, Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 18th February 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2019
5th sentence, 74th page: Zumba.

Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and no one has taken her seriously since. Frankly, she’s over it. Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She’s determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World… whatever that means.

Phase One: A new framework for her business (A website from this decade?)
Phase Two: A gut reno on her wardrobe (FYI, leggings are pants)
Phase Three: Updates to her exterior (Do people still wax?)
Phase Four: Put herself on the market (And stop crushing on Travis Ford!)

Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking out the town clown for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite.

Travis Ford was a major league baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can’t even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there’s Georgie, his best friend’s sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme – that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job – he agrees. What’s the harm? It’s not like it’s real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman, and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her.

I’ve been eyeing this story off for a while and been putting off reading it. Which was honestly a bit of a mistake. Because this story was absolutely glorious and fun and wonderful. I read it cover to cover in one sitting. Which would have been fine if I didn’t start a new job the next day and had read until all hours of the morning.

I can’t imagine how painful it would be to be in love with the same man since you are young. And for that man to consistently ignore and dismiss you. After all, there is nothing that I can imagine being worse than being disregarded constantly. Particularly by the man that you love. Yet, somehow, even though that kind of makes Travis a bit of an ignorant dick, he’s still completely loveable.

This is a fantastic beginning to a new series. And a wonderful introduction to a whole new author. I will definitely be trying to get more Tessa Bailey books on my shelves as soon as feasible. There is something that is so brilliant and engaging and fun about her writing. This was also a beautiful romantic plotline that not only drew me in, but had me seriously emotionally invested in all of the characters… probably why I couldn’t put the silly book down!

Fix Her Up is a beautiful, fun and light-hearted romance that left me smiling and grinning all the way through. Georgie is a brilliant lead, and I love that her entire goal in life is to make others happy and make them laugh. It’s not a career that I would want personally… but I love that she has such a beautiful, generous spirit. It made the whole tale just flow all that sweeter. But, she still has a great backbone of steel – after all, the story starts with her throwing off food at Travis and just gets better from there.

This is a great story about growing up together and finding a way to grow into yourself. My favourite thing about Georgie and Travis is that they are able to help each other grow and support each other. They stick up for each other when they really need it and find a way to constantly support one another. It’s something we all need, but don’t necessarily get, in a relationship. And it made my heart melt.

Image source: Goodreads