Book Review: Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey

Title: Tools of Engagement

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: Hot & Hammered Series (Book #3)

Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Pages: 368

Published: Avon

Year Published: 2020

Format:  Audiobook

"Hair, makeup, clothing, decor... everything in Bethany Castle's world is organized, planned and styled to perfection. Which is why the homes she designs for her family's real estate business are the most coveted in town. The only thing not perfect? Her track record with men. She's on a dating hiatus and after helping her friends achieve their dreams, Bethany finally has time to focus on her own: flip a house, from framework to furnishings, all by herself. Except her older brother runs the company and refuses to take her seriously.

When a television producer gets wind of the Castle sibling rivalry, they're invited on Flip Off, a competition to see who can do the best renovations. Bethany wants bragging rights, but she needs a crew and the only member of her brother's construction team willing to jump ship is Wes Daniels, the new guy in town. His Texas drawl and handsome face got under Bethany's skin on day one, but 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. But 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 flipping disaster."

My Rating: 3.75/5

I liked this one, but it wasn't my favourite out of the whole series. The characters were relatable, their issues were real and sincere and the setting was fun. The overall arc of the story was good, but a lot was crammed into the book. The separate plots, the epilogue and the other characters' story arcs fall into this making it hard to believe that everyone got their happily ever after. It was fun and would recommend it if you're looking to round out the series.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey

Title: Love Her or Lose Her

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: Hot & Hammered Series (Book #2)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

Pages: 336

Publisher: Avon

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect 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 10 years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie 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-emot 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 her surprise, he's all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous- year 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."

My Rating: 5/5

I absolutely flew right through this book. The characters are great to follow and distinct in who they are (sometimes in contemporary romance I feel like the main characters can become very bland). The chemistry between these characters was off the charts! I love the trope of a married couple reconnecting and finding each other. I will say I thought this would have more to do with Dom's time in the military and while it touched on it, it did very lightly. I would strongly recommend if you are looking for a super smutty but not dark romance. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny